Web Desk: Supreme Court decision to allow former Prime Minister Imran Khan to receive medical treatment at a private hospital has triggered a political reaction, with a critic arguing that the ruling has weakened the stated grounds for a planned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf protest.
The critic welcomed the court’s decision and said the order had effectively removed the medical issue that some PTI supporters had cited while mobilising for a proposed Sept. 27 protest in Islamabad.
The remarks also accused some PTI figures of encouraging supporters to join what the speaker described as a potentially violent march. Those allegations were not independently verified.
The Supreme Court ordered authorities on Tuesday to transfer Khan from custody to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad for medical treatment, according to local media reports.
The court directed that the transfer take place the same day and said doctors Faisal Sultan and Uzma Khan would accompany him.
Under the order, Khan’s treatment expenses at the hospital will be paid by him, according to reports.
The ruling followed Khan’s request for access to treatment at the Islamabad hospital. Dawn reported in June that the former prime minister had approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to move from prison to Shifa International.
Reacting to the decision, the critic said the court had addressed the medical concern that PTI supporters could use to justify street mobilisation.
The speaker argued that with Khan now ordered to receive treatment at the hospital, the basis for the proposed Sept. 27 demonstration had been substantially weakened.
The critic also questioned whether supporters would still mobilise behind the protest now that the Supreme Court had granted Khan access to the requested medical facility.
Khan, who was removed from office in 2022, remains in custody while facing multiple legal cases. His supporters have repeatedly raised concerns about his health and access to medical treatment.
However, the Supreme Court’s order does not end his detention. Instead, it allows him to receive treatment at Shifa International while remaining in custody.
Details of the medical condition behind the latest hospital order were not immediately available.
The ruling comes as PTI continues to navigate legal proceedings involving Khan while seeking to maintain political pressure through public mobilisation.
For Khan’s opponents, the hospital decision removes an issue they say could have been used to rally supporters. For PTI, however, the broader political and legal dispute surrounding its founder extends beyond his medical treatment.
The Sept. 27 protest plans and the party’s response to the Supreme Court order are likely to determine whether the ruling changes the momentum of the planned mobilisation.
Read more: Supreme court orders Imran Khan’s immediate transfer to Shifa International Hospital
