Uzma Khan Seeks Early Hearing of Imran Contempt Plea
Dr Uzma Khan, the sister of former prime minister Imran Khan, has asked the Supreme Court for an early hearing of the Imran contempt plea for a third time. The fresh application was filed on Tuesday, after the PTI said Imran’s blood pressure had surged above 190 in jail.
The application, filed through Advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari under Order XXXV, Rules 5 and 6 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, asks the court to fix the contempt plea for hearing next week.
The plea concerns the Supreme Court’s order of August 18, when a three-member bench directed the government to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days. The government instead took him to the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for a check-up and then transported him back to prison.
What the Imran contempt plea seeks
The contempt plea names Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Salik Jalal and Adiala jail Superintendent Sajid Baig as respondents. It alleges that the government failed to follow the court’s order to move Imran to a private hospital for medical examination and treatment.
In the fresh application, Dr Uzma stressed the urgency of the matter because of reports in the media that the incarcerated leader’s blood pressure recently rose to 192. She said there were serious concerns about his health.
“If an early hearing of this matter is not granted, the applicant’s and Imran Khan’s guaranteed rights will continue to be prejudiced,” the application stated. It argued that his fundamental rights, particularly with respect to health and well-being, as well as access to medical advice and facilities and family members, would continue to be violated.
The earlier plea had also sought weekly meetings between Imran and his family, and phone calls with his sons, Kasim Khan and Sulaiman Khan, twice a week.
Two earlier requests were turned down
The Supreme Court’s office has already turned down Dr Uzma’s two previous requests for an early hearing. In both denials, the registrar’s office stressed that the fixation policy required proceedings to be conducted turn-wise, and noted that 94 criminal original petitions of the same category were already pending.
The second request was submitted after the court had fixed the main petition for September 16. On that day, a three-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed heard petitions on Imran’s medical treatment and meetings with his family, but deferred the matter after the Federal Constitutional Court intervened. The constitutional court had directed the court office to requisition the cases from the Supreme Court and fix them before it under Article 175-E of the Constitution. The bench expressed reservations over that directive, but deferred its own proceedings, observing that propriety demanded deferment. The court adjourned the matter for a date after three weeks, and it is yet to be fixed for hearing.
Why the plea matters now
The third application keeps the hospital transfer dispute before the court at a time when the case is caught between two courts. The Supreme Court’s August 18 order remains in force, but the question of which court should hear the matter is still unresolved. For now, the fresh application asks only for a date. If the court agrees to fix the plea for next week, the long wait since August could finally end.
The Islamabad High Court adjourned the £190 million case against Imran Khan for 10 days and ordered a meeting with his legal team. Shah Mahmood Qureshi was taken to hospital on Tuesday after a fall in jail, and remains under observation. The Tehreek Tahaffuz Aain Pakistan has sought a judicial review of the emergency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Centre spent more than Rs5 trillion on devolved subjects, a Senate panel was told on Tuesday.
Frequently asked questions
What has Dr Uzma Khan asked the Supreme Court to do?
She has asked the court to fix her contempt plea for hearing next week. The plea concerns the government’s failure to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital, as the court ordered on August 18.
Why is the application urgent?
The application was filed after the PTI said Imran Khan’s blood pressure had surged above 190 in jail. The application put the reading at 192 and said there were serious concerns about his health.
What did the Supreme Court order on August 18?
A three-member bench directed the government to shift Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within two days for medical examination and treatment. The government instead took him to Pims for a check-up and returned him to prison.
Why has the contempt plea not been heard yet?
The Supreme Court office turned down two earlier requests for an early hearing, citing the court’s turn-wise fixation policy. On September 16, the court deferred the matter after the Federal Constitutional Court intervened over jurisdiction.
Who are the respondents in the contempt plea?
The plea names Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Islamabad Chief Commissioner Sohail Ashraf, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Inspector General of Prisons Mian Salik Jalal and Adiala jail Superintendent Sajid Baig.
