Imran’s sister seeks early SC hearing of contempt plea over hospital transfer

Dr Uzma Khan, sister of former prime minister Imran Khan, has once again approached the Supreme Court, requesting an urgent hearing of her contempt petition against government officials over the former premier’s medical treatment.

Through her fresh application filed on Thursday, Uzma asked the apex court to take up the matter this week or early next week instead of waiting until the hearing scheduled for September 16.

The dispute stems from an August 18 order in which a three-member SC bench directed authorities to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad. The government, however, took him to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for a medical examination before returning him to prison.

Uzma had initially filed a contempt petition last week, accusing the authorities of disregarding the court’s directive. The petition was later resubmitted to the SC registrar, while an application for an early hearing was also moved.

The court had on August 24 fixed the contempt case for September 16 before a bench comprising Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.

In the latest application, submitted through Advocate Uzair Karamat Bhandari, Uzma maintained that contempt proceedings were necessary to secure compliance with the August 18 order.

She argued that delaying the hearing could affect Imran’s health and said an early hearing was required in the “interest of justice, protection of life and health and due enforcement” of the court’s orders.