A senior Pakistani Cabinet minister said Thursday the government could consider allowing imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to receive treatment at a private hospital or abroad if adequate care is unavailable at a government facility, while pledging to comply with a Supreme Court order on Khan’s treatment.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government had approached the Supreme Court to seek clarification on whether the medical relief granted to Khan applied only to the former premier or could be extended to other prisoners.
Chaudhry wrote on X that the government would fully comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling and that its request for clarification was not intended to defy or delay implementation of the decision. The government maintains that under existing rules, prisoners are provided medical treatment in jail and can be transferred to government hospitals when necessary. Concerns about Khan’s health intensified in late January after his family said he had lost about 85% of the vision in his right eye, a claim the government disputed. Authorities later said Khan had regained about 70% of his vision in the eye and that his condition was improving.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government had approached the Supreme Court to seek clarification on whether the medical relief granted to Khan applied only to the former premier or could be extended to other prisoners.
