Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was transferred back to jail early on Friday, hours after being taken to a private hospital for court-ordered medical checks, the government said. The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that Khan, Pakistan's most popular politician, be taken to the Shifa International Hospital in the capital Islamabad within 48 hours for treatment, after his lawyers petitioned the court over concerns that his health was poor. "A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a physician, conducted a detailed examination of him and declared him medically fit," Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X about Khan's health checks. "After the completion of this entire process, he was transferred back to Adiala Jail." Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who is also his spiritual guide, were both sentenced late last year to 17 years in jail. Tarar also said that Khan's sister, Uzma Khan, who is a medical doctor, was present during the medical examination. Hundreds of police, some wielding sticks, were deployed near the hospital late on Thursday, with roads leading to the clinic cordoned off, ahead of the transfer. Dozens of the 73-year-old's supporters had waited outside the hospital. The former prime minister received eye treatment at a hospital this year, with his family and lawyer saying at the time that he had lost most of the vision in his right eye. The next court hearing was set for September 16. Khan was prime minister from 2018 to 2022 before being removed in a no-confidence vote during a political crisis over tensions between his government and the powerful military establishment. He has since faced multiple legal cases on corruption and other charges, which Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party maintain are politically motivated. His arrest triggered nationwide protests in May 2023, some of which turned violent and led to hundreds of arrests.
