IHC orders fresh medical board for Imran Khan health review

The Islamabad High Court directed authorities to immediately form a medical board to assess the health of PTI founder Imran Khan. The order came while disposing of a petition that had sought his transfer from jail to a private hospital in Islamabad for treatment related to an eye condition.

The bench said a fresh examination was necessary because the matter directly concerned Khan’s health. It instructed that the board include senior ophthalmology specialists from PIMS Islamabad and Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, and submit its recommendations to the Islamabad chief commissioner without delay.

The court also clarified that any decision on shifting Khan outside prison for treatment would rest with the government under prison rules after reviewing the board’s findings. At the same time, it rejected the request for his direct transfer to a private hospital, observing that the judiciary could not replace the executive authority in such matters.

The order further stressed that prison officials must properly inform relatives if a convicted prisoner develops a serious medical condition, reinforcing procedural obligations on jail authorities.