Which other political figures have been granted private medical treatment in prison?

The federal government on Wednesday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a review and recall of its order to move incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan to Islamabad’s Shifa Inte­rn­ati­onal Hospital for medical examination and treatment.

Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Tuesday, after the issuance of the order, that modifications would be sought to shift him to a government hospital for treatment instead of a private facility. He said treatment was often possible within jails, while government hospitals also provided the necessary facilities for prisoners who needed treatment outside jail.

However, other ex-premiers and other prominent political figures have sought and received medical treatment at private hospitals while incarcerated, sometimes even being granted permission to leave the country to seek treatment. Dawn takes a look at some of the most prominent cases.

Nawaz Sharif

The PML-N’s supremo and former prime minister, while serving a 10-year jail term after being convicted for owning assets beyond income, was moved from Adiala jail to Islamabad’s Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) after developing serious cardiac complications in 2018.

The next year, he was granted bail on medical grounds in a corruption case in order to receive treatment for a serious immune disorder. In November 2019, he left the country to receive medical treatment in London after the Lahore High Court (LHC) removed his travel ban.

Pervez Musharraf

Former army strongman and president General Pervez Musharraf was taken to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi in 2014 after suffering a “heart problem” while en route to a court hearing.

Musharraf had been barred from travelling abroad after his name was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) on Apr 5, 2013. However, his name was struck off the list by the interior ministry and he flew to Dubai on Mar 17, 2016 to “seek medical treatment”, never to return.

Despite being handed a death sentence in 2019, the ex-president remained in Dubai and was hospitalised there in December of that year. He was hospitalised again in 2022 before passing away in February 2023 after a protracted battle with amyloidosis.

Sharjeel Memon

Incumbent Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Memon, who holds the portfolios of transport and mass transit and information, received medical treatment while in judicial custody at Ziauddin Hospital in 2018, where his room was declared a sub-jail.

However, he was sent back to Karachi’s Central Jail soon after the discovery of three bottles of ‘liquor’ in his room, as police and hospital authorities scrambled to save face.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

The former prime minister of the country from 2017-2018, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was later imprisoned in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi. While incarcerated, he was brought to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Nov 2, 2019, complaining of hernia pain. He was admitted to the cardiology ward and checked by senior doctors.

The hospital’s medical board had suggested a hernia operation, and Abbasi — at the time allied with the PML-N — had insisted on undergoing the surgery at a private hospital. He was brought to Shifa International Hospital for the operation, remaining there under observation for a week.

Dr Asim Hussain

Former federal minister and close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, Dr Asim Hussain, was admitted to a private hospital for treatment after complaining of heart problems in September 2015.

Dr Asim had been remanded for 90 days to Rangers custody the previous month, after the paramilitary force had contended that they had credible information regarding the PPP leader’s involvement in terrorism related activities as well as embezzlement of funds.