SC office returns Imran hospital transfer plea

The Supreme Court Registrar's Office has returned a miscellaneous application seeking former prime minster Imran Khan's transfer from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in view of his deteriorating health conditions, after raising objections.

The Registrar's Office pointed out that in its February 12 order, the SC had clearly directed the petitioner to seek appropriate relief from the Islamabad High Court (IHC). It noted that the Toshakhana criminal case involving the PTI founder is already pending before the high court.

The objections further stated that the miscellaneous application was not filed through an Advocate-on-Record, as required under the Supreme Court Rules 2025. Applications filed without an Advocate-on-Record are not maintainable. Consequently, the plea was returned.

Earlier on Friday, PTI lawyers, including Latif Khosa and Naeem Panjutha, appeared before a bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi and requested that their request for Imran's transfer from Adiala Jail to the hospital be fixed for hearing.

The CJP noted that no such application was pending before the court, as the SC registrar had returned it with objections a day earlier. He remarked that no application was available on record upon which the court could proceed.

Latif Khosa argued that an application for early hearing had also been submitted and maintained that the court had issued directions regarding Imran's medical treatment.

Justice Afridi, however, clarified that the court had not passed any such order; rather, the government had given an assurance regarding the former PM's medical care.

He advised counsel to carefully read the previous order, reiterating that the health issue was not pending before the Supreme Court.

Khosa emphasized that the request for hospital transfer was being made on humanitarian grounds rather than political or legal ones. The CJP responded that a medical check-up had already been conducted on humanitarian grounds.

During the exchange, when Latif Khosa urged the court "to try to understand his point," Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, a member of the bench, remarked that he had known Khosa since 1992 and fully understood both his arguments and the platform from which he was speaking.

Concluding the proceedings, the CJP advised the senior counsel to meet the SC registrar regarding the objections and stated that if a copy of the objections was not provided, they could then approach the court.

According to sources, CJP Yahya Afridi has made it clear to the PTI that the Supreme Court no longer has jurisdiction in the matter of transferring Imran Khan to a hospital. He has advised the party chairman, Gohar Ali Khan, to approach the IHC in this regard.

Gohar met the CJP at the Supreme Court on Friday regarding the issue of shifting the PTI founder from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital in view if his deteriorating health.

During the meeting, the CJP reportedly told him that whatever relief the SC could grant to the jailed politician had already been extended. He further clarified that taking suo motu notice was not within the present scope of action.