The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has come under scrutiny after naming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as a respondent in a contempt of court petition concerning the Supreme Court’s order to transfer Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was not included.
The petition has sparked questions within political and legal circles about whether its primary objective is to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s August 18 order or to seek action against individuals allegedly responsible for failing to implement it. The issue has also reportedly created discussion within PTI ranks.
According to sources familiar with the matter, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had stressed during a parliamentary party meeting that the issue should not be given a political dimension. He reportedly argued that the party’s legal team should handle the matter strictly on legal and professional grounds and focus on securing medical treatment for the PTI founder.
Sources said the original emphasis was on ensuring implementation of the Supreme Court’s directive, under which Imran Khan was to be shifted to Shifa International Hospital for treatment under arrangements specified by the court. The view expressed in the meeting was reportedly that the proceedings should focus on compliance rather than punishment of political figures.
The controversy intensified when the petition was filed with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif named as a respondent, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was left out. The petition, filed on behalf of Imran Khan’s sister Uzma Khan through lawyer Uzair Karamat Bhandari, names several officials, including the law and information ministers, Islamabad’s chief commissioner, interior secretary, Punjab inspector general of prisons and Adiala Jail superintendent.
Barrister Salman Akram Raja has explained that a person should only be made a respondent when there is evidence connecting them with the decision not to comply with the Supreme Court’s order. According to this position, the interior secretary was named because of the relevant administrative responsibility, while the interior minister was not included due to an alleged lack of direct evidence.
The government, meanwhile, has challenged the Supreme Court’s original directive, arguing that a security situation allegedly created by PTI supporters prevented Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital. Instead, he was taken to PIMS for medical examination before being returned to Adiala Jail.
The dispute has therefore developed into a broader debate over PTI’s legal strategy. While the party’s initial position reportedly focused on implementing the court order, the final petition has raised questions over whether its approach remains centred on compliance or could also lead to accountability proceedings against those considered responsible for the alleged non-implementation.
