• Presiding officer bars PTI from moving resolution, allows debate on points of order
• Senator Zafar asks govt to uphold Constitution, not assume court’s role
• Sanaullah says ex-PM taken to govt hospital due to security concerns
ISLAMABAD: The opposition on Tuesday accused the government of violating a Supreme Court order regarding the treatment of former prime minister Imran Khan at Shifa International Hospital, as it was once again barred from moving a resolution calling for the implementation of the SC order.
At the outset, presiding officer Shahadat Awan stopped the opposition from moving the resolution, but permitted discussion after ruling that the matter was sub judice and could only be raised through a point of order.
Subsequently, the opposition slammed the government for what they called “throwing the binding orders of the Supreme Court in the dustbin”. The government, however, asked the opposition to let the court decide whether or not its order had been violated.
PTI parliamentary leader Senator Ali Zafar said the government could not become the Supreme Court, and demanded compliance with the court order in letter and spirit. He said the issue before the house was not merely about Imran Khan, rather the Constitution, the rule of law, and the future of democratic institutions.
Referring to Articles 189, 190, and 204 of the Constitution, the PTI senator said the executive could not treat the Supreme Court orders as optional.
He said the apex court asked the government to shift Mr Khan to Shifa International, form a medical board comprising specialists and involve his personal physician and family members in the medical check-up and treatment.
“No medical board was constituted as directed, nor was Dr Faisal Sultan involved in the medical examination and treatment as ordered by the court,” he added.
“Even if the government believed there was a security problem or some other difficulty, a proper course was to return to the Supreme Court and seek further directions,” he said.
“If you believe the order is wrong, go to the court, but do not refuse to obey the order,” Senator Zafar added. He repeatedly stressed what he described as a fundamental constitutional principle: “The government must not become the court.”
He warned that if governments were allowed to disregard judicial orders because they disagreed with them, the same principle could eventually be used against any citizen or political party.
“Today it is your government; tomorrow it may be ours. But the Constitution is for everyone. The country is for everyone,” he said.
Senator Zafar also called for the immediate release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi, saying that both should be provided their fundamental rights, including healthcare and meetings with family members.
He said JUI-F and other opposition parties had signed the resolution, but PML-N and PPP had chosen to stay away, showing that they “did not stand with the Constitution or the rule of law”.
Responding on behalf of the government, PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah said the state was “subject to the Constitution” and had complied with the Supreme Court order.
“The court also said security arrangements would be assessed by the administration. Given the law and order situation, he was taken to a government hospital where qualified doctors were available,” he said.
Mr Sanaullah said a doctors’ panel had examined Imran Khan and he was sent back to jail after his condition was found to be “satisfactory”.
“The matter is before the court. The report will be submitted to the court. Let the court examine it on Sept 16 and decide whether the order was implemented or not,” he said, advising the opposition not to act like a court. He questioned why they were “determined to prove [Imran] ill” when his own doctors and family had stated he was in good health.
Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2026
