• Gohar, Khosa get assurance during meeting with registrar
• PTI leader rejects impression of any deal with govt
• SC human rights cell moved to oversee Imran’s treatment in jail
ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan met the Supreme Court registrar on Monday and was assured that a bench would be constituted soon to proceed with the contempt of court petition moved over the alleged violation of the court’s Aug 18 order.
On Aug 22, Dr Uzma Khan, the sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, had moved the petition seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against those responsible for allegedly violating the court order directing that the incarcerated ex-PM be shifted to a private hospital in the capital for treatment.
The Islamabad chief commissioner had also approached the SC on Saturday, seeking an early hearing of his review petition, in which the legality of the Aug 18 order was questioned.
Speaking to reporters, Barrister Gohar said he and Sardar Latif Khosa had met the SC registrar, who assured them that the hearing would soon be fixed before a bench.
Responding to a question, he brushed aside the impression of any deal with the government, saying that the PTI founder did not make deals, otherwise he would not have spent three years in prison.
Mr Gohar said the PTI founder would not remain in hospital for even a minute after his treatment, adding that he would have to undergo certain medical tests. He expressed confidence that the contempt proceedings would be scheduled soon.
Mr Khosa said that when the Supreme Court could be opened at midnight, there was no reason why the hearing could not be held through video link. He explained that a case number was being allotted to the contempt petition and quoted the SC registrar as saying that one of the judges was in Lahore.
Barrister Gohar also said the registrar had assured them that a case number would be allocated on Monday for the contempt petition and had also assured them he would write a note to the CJP regarding early fixing of the case. “We only want that the test of PTI founder should be conducted at the private hospital where both his sister Dr Uzma Khan and his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan should be included in the medical board,” he said.
He said the health and safety of the PTI founder had become a prime concern even worldwide, adding that the authorities had taken Imran Khan to PIMS hospital only for his eye treatment.
Mr Gohar was of the view that the prison rules were subject to the Constitution, reminding that the Supreme Court had issued its Aug 18 order under Article 9, which guarantees the right to life.
Contempt plea
In the contempt petition, Uzma Khan, through her counsel Uziar Karamat Bhandari, pleaded that the directives contained in the Aug 18 order were clear, unambiguous, unequivocal and fully capable of implementation. The petition said these directives had been issued in the presence of the advocate general for Islamabad and additional attorney general for Pakistan.
“No portion thereof requires any further interpretation, clarification or modification,” the petition argued. Consequently, the respondents/contemnors, being the officials responsible for putting the directions into effect, were under an absolute legal obligation to comply with the court order “in letter and spirit”.
“Needless to say, the mere filing of a review petition on part of the chief commissioner does not affect the legal status of the court order and does not justify noncompliance with it,” the contempt petition stated.
It contended that even if some clarification or modification in the order was required, or there was apprehension of any security situation as alleged by the ministers, an application was required to be filed in the petitions as required by the court order.
“The respondents’ conduct has the effect of undermining and lowering the authority of the Supreme Court and of bringing it into disrespect, ridicule and contempt,” the petition regretted. Such conduct warranted cognisance of the matter by the Supreme Court, it said.
It also requested the court to impose appropriate punishments against the respondents and direct them to take all appropriate steps to implement the directives contained in the Aug 18 order for the medical examination of Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, an application has been filed with the Supreme Court’s human rights cell in Lahore seeking judicial oversight of the treatment, medical care and constitutional rights of the PTI founding chairman during his incarceration.
The application, filed by a civil society organisation under Articles 4, 9, 10, 10-A, 14 and 25 of the Constitution, has clarified that it does not seek to question, suspend or interfere with Imran Khan’s conviction, sentence or any pending judicial proceedings, but is limited to ensuring that the constitutional and human rights safeguards applicable to any person in custody are fully honoured.
Citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Raja Azmat Ali versus Abu Malik Naseem (2023 SCMR 1867), it argued that the state owes a binding constitutional duty of care to every prisoner, particularly with regard to medical treatment.
The plea sought equal treatment rather than special privilege, saying that the constitutional protections of dignity and health must be meaningfully available to every prisoner — including Imran Khan — regardless of political standing.
The applicant requested the court to ensure an independent medical assessment of the PTI founder’s condition in accordance with the law.
Wajih Ahmad Sheikh in Lahore also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2026
