The Supreme Court Registrar’s Office on Thursday has returned the review petition filed against the apex court’s decision regarding the transfer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital after raising objections over the filing.
The Registrar’s Office pointed out that the required paper books and legal documents had not been completed and attached with the petition, meaning the plea could not be formally filed in its present form.
After conducting an initial scrutiny under the relevant rules and procedures, the Registrar’s Office returned the petition with objections.
According to sources, the Chief Commissioner Islamabad and his legal team are working to address the objections raised by the Registrar’s Office. Once the technical deficiencies in the paper books are rectified and all required documents are completed, the review petition will be filed again in the Supreme Court, seeking reconsideration of the apex court’s earlier decision.
The matter concerning Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment has triggered a legal and administrative dispute. After the Supreme Court ordered that the PTI founder be shifted to the private hospital within two days, the federal government challenged the decision before the apex court itself.
The Islamabad administration, through the Chief Commissioner and via the Advocate General, filed a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking reconsideration or withdrawal of the August 18 order.
In its review petition, the Islamabad administration argued that the court’s order exceeded its jurisdiction and that the Chief Commissioner had not been formally issued a notice before the decision was passed.
The petition stated that the PTI founder had been undergoing regular medical examinations and that government medical boards had examined and treated him in detail on several occasions.
According to the petitioner, prison rules and regulations governing the transfer of inmates to hospitals had been overlooked. It argued that any such decision should have been taken after obtaining the professional opinion of medical experts. The petition also maintained that, under the law, police supervision is mandatory when a prisoner is transferred.
The Supreme Court, in its written order, had directed that the PTI founder be transferred to Shifa International Hospital within two days and that a medical board comprising specialist doctors be constituted.
However, despite the expiry of the two-day deadline set by the court, Imran Khan has still not been transferred to Shifa International Hospital.
