Speaking to journalists at Parliament House, Sanaullah said the government wanted the review petition to be decided before Imran was transferred to hospital.
“There is no deadline for transferring the PTI founder to a hospital,” he said, adding that the government expected a decision on its review petition “today or tomorrow”.
The Supreme Court had on Tuesday ordered Adiala Jail authorities to transfer Imran to Shifa International Hospital within two days for medical assessment and treatment. The deadline was due to expire on Thursday.
However, the government subsequently filed a review petition, arguing that the court’s order had not taken certain statutory provisions into account.
“Let the decision on the review petition filed by the government come. This will make things clear,” Sanaullah said.
He said the government was bound by the Constitution and law and would respect the Supreme Court’s decision, while noting that its rulings were binding on subordinate courts.
Sanaullah said the government was concerned that the decision could have wider implications for the criminal justice system.
“Will every prisoner then be transferred to a private hospital?” he asked, arguing that such a precedent could make it difficult for subordinate courts to reject similar requests from other prisoners.
He reiterated that the government was required to comply with the court’s orders.
Referring to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s case, Sanaullah said Nawaz had initially been transferred from prison to a government hospital for treatment.
He added that a medical board later recommended treatment abroad, after which the government granted permission for Nawaz to leave the country for medical treatment.
Imran Khan, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 following convictions that he and his party describe as politically motivated. He has faced multiple legal cases since his ouster from power through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.
