Former Prime Minister Imran Khan was returned to Adiala Prison following a court-ordered medical checkup at a private hospital in Islamabad, according to government statements. The hospital transfer coincided with widespread pre-emptive arrests of PTI members and family relatives ahead of planned nationwide protests.
According to Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia, Babu Ram Pant, the detentions of Imran Khan’s family members and party activists represent a flagrant violation of rights to liberty, freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. Government officials have publicly vowed to block the demonstrations scheduled for September 27, deploying roadblocks across Islamabad.
Medical Evaluation and Hospital Transfer
Imran Khan was transported to a private medical facility in Islamabad late Thursday night following an order issued by Pakistan’s Supreme Court. The court directed authorities to conduct necessary medical evaluations after months of public concern raised by Khan’s family regarding his health conditions and restricted access.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar stated on X that a medical board—comprising an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician—examined the former prime minister and declared him medically fit. Zulfikar Bukhari, a senior leader from the PTI party, described the hospital transfer as a constitutional obligation rather than a political concession. During the examination, Khan’s sister was present, aligning with Supreme Court directives that also reinstated weekly family visits.
Pre-emptive Arrests and Administrative Detentions
Ahead of the planned September 27 march demanding Khan’s release and adequate healthcare, law enforcement agencies launched a series of pre-emptive operations across Punjab. According to Amnesty International, Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan was placed under a 30-day administrative detention at Central Jail Kot Lakhpat in Lahore on September 20, under the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO).
In the early hours of September 21, authorities took two other sisters of the former prime minister, Noreen Niazi and Uzma Khan, alongside nieces and nephews Sakeena Niazi, Shahrez Khan and Shershah Khan into custody. While several family members were subsequently released, Noreen and Uzma remain in administrative detention at Kot Lakhpat under MPO orders. PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and several members of parliament—including Sanaullah Mastikhel, Ahsan Jamal Khan, and Mian Ghous—were also detained alongside dozens of party workers.
Legal and Political Stand-off
The Islamabad High Court ruled ahead of the protests that no political party holds the right to occupy public roads, highways, or government buildings. Reinforcing this stance, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi declared that no group would be permitted to enter Islamabad on September 27, asserting that the government would halt the march “in every possible way”.
PTI has maintained that its planned mobilization aims to protest the ongoing imprisonment of Imran Khan, who is serving sentences of 14 years for corruption allegations and 17 years for a case involving state gifts. Human rights organizations continue to urge authorities to lift restrictions on peaceful assembly and release individuals targeted solely for political affiliations or familial ties.
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