New Delhi [India], August 25 (ANI): Calling Pakistan's handling of former Prime Minister Imran Khan's recent medical evaluation a "complete mockery" of the country's Supreme Court, his adviser on International Affairs Sayed Z Bukhari on Tuesday accused authorities of disregarding the court's order directing that Khan be shifted to a private hospital and examined by an independent medical panel.
The remarks came during a press conference by Khan's sons, Sulaiman Isa Khan and Kasim Khan, along with Bukhari and his international counsel Jared Genser, on his detention and health concerns.
"This is not just a contempt of court; it's a complete mockery," Bukhari said, referring to how the Pakistani regime handled Khan's case despite the Supreme Court's order directing the Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder's transfer to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad.
On August 18, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, led by Justice Shahid Waheed, had directed that Khan be moved from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within 48 hours for medical treatment and a comprehensive health evaluation.
The court had also ordered an independent medical board comprising specialists, including a cardiologist, an eye specialist and a physician, along with Khan's personal doctor, Dr Faisal Sultan. It also directed that Khan's medical records be produced.
According to Bukhari, however, Khan was instead taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), a government hospital, on August 20 and returned to Adiala jail after only a few hours.
He alleged that authorities sent a "decoy convoy" towards Shifa International Hospital while Khan was taken to PIMS, where his personal physician was waiting for him.
"They made Imran Khan's personal physician... go first to Shifa International and then they deceived him and everybody else and the Supreme Court of Pakistan and took him to what's called PIMS Hospital," Bukhari alleged.
Bukhari further questioned why Khan was not kept in hospital for a longer period for comprehensive tests and why his personal doctor was not included in the medical assessment as directed by the court.
"It shows you the fear; it shows you that they don't want Imran Khan to be out of jail for even a few hours, let alone a few days of what the court has ordered," he alleged.
Khan's son Kasim said his father, 73, had spent nearly three years in solitary confinement and alleged that his health had deteriorated during his imprisonment.
"He's endured nearly three years in solitary confinement without breaking. But his body's paying the price for what's being done to him," Kasim said, alleging that Khan had been kept in a small cell for more than 23 hours a day.
He also referred to his father's reported vision problems, saying Khan had lost most of the sight in his right eye before receiving what the family considered an adequate examination.
Sulaiman Khan, meanwhile, said he and his brother had been unable to speak to their father for months and urged Pakistani authorities to comply with the Supreme Court's order.
"The entire world is asking Pakistan to do one thing: obey its own courts," Sulaiman said.
Khan's international counsel Jared Genser also criticised the authorities' handling of the Supreme Court directive, saying the court-ordered deadline had passed without the former premier being transferred to the specified hospital or examined by the independent medical board.
Genser said Khan was taken to PIMS after midnight on August 20, while his personal physician waited at Shifa, and was returned to Adiala jail by around 5 am after what he described as limited testing.
He further alleged that PIMS had not disclosed the medical report and said Khan's sister, who was present, had publicly questioned the thoroughness of the examination.
"The bottom line is quite simple: proper medical treatment and care is the bare minimum a prisoner should be accorded under international law," Genser said, while calling for immediate implementation of the Supreme Court's order.
Genser also cited previous interventions by UN bodies concerning Khan's detention and treatment. He said the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had in March 2024 found Khan's detention arbitrary, illegal and politically motivated and called for his immediate and unconditional release.
He further referred to concerns raised by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Committee Against Torture regarding Khan's treatment and access to medical care.
Genser maintained that the issue went beyond the latest medical order, arguing that Khan's continued detention raised broader questions about the rule of law and separation of powers in Pakistan.
"Let's not forget that hospitalisation is not the same thing as what Imran Khan and his wife are actually owed, which is of course their immediate and unconditional release," he said.
Khan, who served as Pakistan's prime minister from 2018 to 2022, has remained imprisoned amid multiple legal cases. His supporters have repeatedly alleged that his prosecution and detention are politically motivated, allegations Pakistani authorities have rejected.
The latest dispute over his medical care is expected to come before the Supreme Court, with Khan's Pakistan counsel expected to seek action over the alleged non-compliance with the court's August 18 order. (ANI)
Not just contempt, complete mockery of court: Imran Khan's advisor on Pakistan's handling of former PM treatment
