Imran Khan returned to prison after undergoing a medical examination in Islamabad

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was returned to prison on Friday morning after undergoing a medical examination at a private hospital in the capital, Islamabad, according to the government.

Khan's two sons told CNN this month that they were concerned about their father's health, and said that they were unable to visit him in prison. His family and lawyer also said that the former prime minister had lost most of his ability to see in his right eye.

Pakistani Information Minister Atallah Tarar said, in a post on the “X” Twitter platform previously, on Friday, that Khan was taken to the hospital after midnight in implementation of a judicial order, and then returned to Adiala Prison after undergoing a medical examination.

The minister added in his post: “A team of qualified doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and an internal medicine doctor, conducted a comprehensive examination of him and declared him medically fit.”

He explained that Khan's sister was present throughout the medical examination.

The government assures that prisoners receive appropriate medical care and are transferred to hospital when needed.

Khan's supporters and his party considered his transfer to the hospital late at night a victory for them, after they had long demanded better medical care for him.

Zulfikar Bukhari, a senior leader of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, had described the move as a "constitutional obligation", not a "political concession."

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered Khan to be transferred to the hospital to undergo a medical examination and receive the necessary treatment, after months of concerns about his health condition.

The court also ordered the formation of a medical committee that includes his personal doctors, along with his sister, Dr. Uzma Khan. The court also re-allowed his family members to visit him weekly.

Khan, who was widely popular with millions of Pakistanis, assumed leadership of the country from 2018 until his ouster via a vote of no confidence in Parliament in 2022.

Since his conviction a year ago in cases related to corruption and revealing state secrets, Khan has been in prison. He and his supporters say that these accusations are politically motivated and come in response to his opposition to the current government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.