Uzma Khan on Monday approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan against a ruling by the Islamabad High Court that denied requests to transfer former prime minister Imran Khan to a private hospital and allow him access to personal doctors, family members, and legal counsel.
The petition, filed through senior lawyer Uzair Karamat Bhandari, challenged the high court’s decision refusing to shift the jailed PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment.
According to the petition, Dr Uzma Khan was not originally a party in the Islamabad High Court proceedings but was directly affected by the ruling. The plea cited a previous Supreme Court judgement in the H.M. Saya case, which recognised the right of an aggrieved individual to challenge a court order before the apex court.
The petition stated that Imran Khan and his wife remain imprisoned at Adiala Jail, while his two sons currently reside abroad. As his sister and a medical doctor, Uzma Khan argued that she was deeply concerned about his health and wellbeing, claiming that official actions and negligence were putting his condition at risk.
It further maintained that she was Imran Khan’s closest immediate family member residing in Pakistan and therefore had the legal standing to file the appeal.
The plea also alleged that prison authorities had refused to facilitate the signing of a vakalatnama in favour of the advocate-on-record by Imran Khan, preventing him from personally challenging the Islamabad High Court judgement before the Supreme Court.
The petition requested the apex court to suspend the operation of the IHC ruling until a final decision on the matter is reached. It also sought immediate medical examination of Imran Khan by doctors of his own choosing, including Khurram Mirza, Asim Yusuf, Faisal Sultan, and Samina Niazi.
Additionally, the petition asked the court to direct authorities to grant Imran Khan regular access to his doctors, family members, and legal team.
The appeal argued that denying such access violated the constitutional right to family life guaranteed under Article 9 of Pakistan’s Constitution.