Imran Khan's Sister Meets Jailed Ex-PM After Nine Months as Supreme Court Orders Hospital Transfer

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s sister Noreen Niazi met him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Tuesday, marking their first meeting in nearly nine months. The meeting came shortly after the Supreme Court ordered authorities to facilitate regular family visits and approved Khan’s transfer to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital amid concerns over his health.

Noreen reportedly spent around 15 minutes with Khan and briefed him about the Supreme Court’s decision concerning his hospital transfer. She also asked about his health and discussed his ongoing legal cases. After the meeting, she confirmed that she had met her brother but refrained from speaking to the media in accordance with an undertaking given before the court.

Khan also met his wife, Bushra Bibi, during the day. Their meeting lasted approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Other family members, including Khan’s sisters Aleema and Uzma, were also present at the jail. The meetings followed a ruling by a three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed. The court directed the government to arrange weekly meetings between Khan and his immediate family and allowed telephone contact between the jailed former premier and his children.

The court also ordered Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital and directed the creation of a medical board comprising specialists, including an eye specialist, general physician, cardiologist and Khan’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan. His sister Dr Uzma Khan was also directed to be part of the medical panel.  The Supreme Court stressed that access to family members should not be treated as a privilege or favour, but as a fundamental right. At the same time, PTI representatives were instructed not to engage in political activities or speak to the media after meeting Khan.

Khan’s family has welcomed the decision, saying it addresses their longstanding demand for specialised medical treatment outside the prison. PTI has also maintained that authorities had previously restricted Khan’s access to his family despite earlier court directions. Concerns about Khan’s health have intensified in recent months. Medical reports submitted to the Supreme Court have cited fluctuating blood pressure, heart palpitations, headaches, restlessness and anxiety. A cardiologist who examined him earlier this month recommended measures to reduce psychological stress, including greater interaction with his wife and access to reading material.

A four-member medical board that examined Khan on August 10 recorded his blood pressure at 140/80 mmHg and recommended regular walking, relaxation and increased contact with his immediate family. The report also stated that Khan had undergone at least 39 medical examinations since his imprisonment, with prison doctors checking him three times a day. While the government has rejected allegations that Khan is being denied adequate medical care, PTI has questioned the completeness of the medical reports and called for examinations by Khan’s personal doctors and an independent medical board.

Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi remain imprisoned at Adiala Jail. They were sentenced to 17 years in December 2025 in the Toshakhana-II case. Khan has also faced other corruption-related proceedings and pending cases connected to the May 9, 2023 protests. Khan and his supporters have consistently rejected the allegations, claiming that the cases are politically driven and intended to keep him out of politics.

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