Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Supreme Court Orders Imran Khan to Shifa Hospital Until Sept. 16

8/19/2026

32 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Imran Khan Hospitalized

Supreme Court ordered PM Imran Khan to Shifa Hospital on August 18, 2026, until September 16.
Justice Shahid Waheed set a 48-hour deadline and appointed a panel with a cardiologist and eye specialist.
Khan’s lawyers say he has lost vision in his right eye and suffers blood-pressure problems and palpitations.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari praised the order, urged crowds stay away, and noted court permitted visits and calls with his sons.

Summary

Imran Khan Sentenced

Over 100 criminal cases have been filed against former Prime Minister Imran Khan since his 2022 ouster.
In 2025 he received a 14-year sentence for a land-corruption scheme with the Al-Qadir Trust involving 7 billion rupees in property.
Separate cases sentenced him to three years for selling state gifts worth over 140 million rupees and seven years for an unlawful marriage, the latter overturned in July 2024.

History

Historical Context

On 12 October 1999 General Pervez Musharraf seized power, ousting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and installing a caretaker regime; the Supreme Court later upheld the takeover under a doctrine of necessity but limited its legality to three years. That precedent of judicial endorsement of military rule underpins the 2026 Supreme Court order confining former premier Imran Khan to Shifa Hospital, highlighting the court’s lasting political sway.

1 of 3

Imran Khan Hospitalized

Supreme Court ordered PM Imran Khan to Shifa Hospital on August 18, 2026, until September 16.
Justice Shahid Waheed set a 48-hour deadline and appointed a panel with a cardiologist and eye specialist.
Khan’s lawyers say he has lost vision in his right eye and suffers blood-pressure problems and palpitations.
PTI spokesperson Zulfikar Bukhari praised the order, urged crowds stay away, and noted court permitted visits and calls with his sons.

1 / 3