Last Updated on 15 seconds ago by TodayWhy Editorial
Imran Khan has been behind bars in Pakistan for more than three years, and the question of why he’s still there has gotten more urgent in recent weeks. Why is Imran Khan in prison, why did Pakistan’s Supreme Court just order him to a hospital, and why is his family now openly worried about his health? Here’s what’s known.
Why Is Imran Khan in Prison in the First Place?
Khan, Pakistan’s former prime minister and a former cricket World Cup-winning captain, was removed from office through a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He was first arrested in August 2023 after being convicted in what’s known as the Toshakhana case, over allegations he illegally sold state gifts he received as prime minister without declaring the proceeds. That sentence was later suspended on appeal, but Khan was never released, because prosecutors kept new cases moving before he could walk free.
The most consequential of those followed weeks later: a conviction under Pakistan’s Official Secrets Act for allegedly mishandling a classified diplomatic cable, which brought a 10-year sentence. A day after that, a court handed down a separate 14-year sentence in a second Toshakhana-related ruling. His wife, Bushra Bibi, was convicted alongside him and given a matching sentence. Then in December 2025, a further case tied to an expensive Bulgari jewelry set gifted by Saudi Arabia’s crown prince added a 17-year sentence for both. In total, Khan faces more than 150 legal cases, ranging from corruption charges to accusations of inciting violence during protests after his ouster.
Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have consistently denied wrongdoing and describe the cases as a politically motivated effort to keep the country’s most popular opposition figure out of public life. Pakistan’s government maintains the cases followed due legal process.
Why Did the Supreme Court Order Him to a Hospital?
Concern over Khan’s health had been building for months, driven largely by reports that he had lost most of the vision in his right eye. The immediate trigger came from an August 10 assessment by a prison cardiac board, which recorded fluctuating blood pressure and anxiety it linked to restricted contact with his family, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting. Pakistan’s Supreme Court then ordered authorities to move him for an independent medical evaluation within two days, and on the night of August 20-21, Khan was transferred from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
He was expected to go to the privately run Shifa International Hospital, where hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel had already been deployed, but was instead taken to a state-run facility, PIMS Hospital. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar attributed the change to a “security situation created by PTI workers.” The government had initially challenged the court’s order altogether before ultimately complying.
A team including a cardiologist, an ophthalmologist, and a physician examined him overnight and, according to Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, declared him medically fit. His sister, Uzma Khan, was present throughout. By Friday morning, Khan was back in Adiala jail.
Why Is His Family Disputing the Government’s Account?
The government’s “medically fit” finding hasn’t settled the matter. Khan’s family and lawyers maintain he has lost most of his vision, a claim the government-appointed medical board disputes, saying his sight has actually improved. After public protests, Khan’s sister Uzma Khanum was allowed a rare visit and told reporters he was physically well but “very angry” about being kept so isolated from visitors.
The dispute isn’t limited to his family. A group of 22 former international cricket captains, including India’s Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev and Australia’s Greg and Ian Chappell, wrote a second letter within six months to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, questioning the hospital visit’s brevity and noting Khan was examined by a state-appointed team rather than the independent board the court had ordered, according to Associated Press reporting via ABC News. The group said it wasn’t seeking to intervene in Pakistan’s legal process, writing as former colleagues and rivals rather than as politicians.
Pakistan’s government has pushed back firmly on the broader mistreatment narrative. The Ministry of Information told the AP that Khan is not held under any special government order but as a convicted prisoner serving court-ordered sentences, and rejected allegations of solitary confinement, mental torture, or medical neglect. Officials said Khan has received more than 900 visits from family, lawyers, doctors, and other approved visitors since 2023, plus weekly meetings with his wife and phone or WhatsApp contact with relatives, adding that his sisters had visited him as recently as August 18 and 19.
Why Does the Hospital Visit Matter Politically?
The transfer was itself unusual enough to draw attention: it was the first time Khan had left prison for medical reasons since February, according to Pakistani officials, after months in which broadcasters had avoided even naming him on air. Crowds of Khan’s supporters lined the streets of Islamabad overnight, reportedly throwing flowers at the vehicle believed to be carrying him, a scene aired live on Pakistani television.
Some PTI leaders had publicly predicted the Supreme Court’s order meant Khan would remain hospitalized for weeks. His swift return to prison the same morning was read by supporters as evidence the visit was more about optics than genuine ongoing treatment, a perception that risks reigniting the street protests and political tension that have followed Khan on and off since his 2023 arrest.
What Happens Next?
None of Khan’s underlying legal cases have been resolved, and his appeals continue to work through Pakistan’s courts. For now, the immediate flashpoint is medical access rather than any single case outcome: whether authorities allow the independent eye specialists his family and supporters are demanding, and whether further public pressure, from cricket figures, party supporters, or international rights groups, changes how his detention is managed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Imran Khan in prison?
He has been jailed since August 2023 following convictions in multiple cases, including the Toshakhana case over undeclared state gifts, a state secrets case involving a diplomatic cable, and a later case over jewelry gifted by Saudi Arabia. He faces more than 150 total legal cases.
How long is Imran Khan’s prison sentence?
His combined sentences across separate cases total several decades, though appeals are ongoing in multiple cases. He has been continuously detained since August 2023 regardless of individual sentence suspensions, due to overlapping charges.
Why did Imran Khan go to the hospital?
Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered a medical evaluation after months of concern over his declining eyesight. He was examined overnight on August 20-21, 2026, and returned to prison the next morning.
Did Imran Khan lose his eyesight?
His family says he has lost most of the vision in his right eye. A government-appointed medical board disputes this, saying his sight has improved, a claim his family rejects.
What is the Toshakhana case?
It refers to allegations that Khan illegally sold state gifts, kept in a government repository called the Toshakhana, that he received as prime minister, without declaring the proceeds as required.
What does Pakistan’s government say about Khan’s treatment?
Officials reject claims of mistreatment, saying Khan is a convicted prisoner serving lawful sentences and has received more than 900 visits from family, lawyers, and doctors since 2023, along with weekly meetings with his wife.
Does Imran Khan’s party believe the charges are political?
Yes. Khan and his party, PTI, describe the cases as politically motivated efforts to keep him out of public life. Pakistan’s government says the cases followed normal legal process.