Three Adiala jail inmates have taken their case to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) denied them treatment at private hospitals like former prime minister Imran Khan. The inmates, represented by Advocates Akhtar Cheema and others, are seeking interpretation of a prison rule that they argue allows for transfer to civil or private hospitals in certain circumstances. According to Advocate Cheema, his client has been brought to the public hospital eight times in two months due to severe internal bleeding issues, and is requesting equal treatment as granted to Imran Khan under Article 25 of the Constitution. The petitions filed with the FCC also request permission for the inmates to communicate with family members living abroad via WhatsApp.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Three inmates at Adiala jail, Muhammad Ilyas Khan, Mohammad Ismail Hussain, and Owais Altaf, have appealed to the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) after their petitions seeking treatment at private hospitals were rejected by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The inmates are challenging the IHC's decision, citing a recent Supreme Court order that allowed former Prime Minister Imran Khan to be treated at a private hospital, Shifa International Hospital. According to their lawyer, Advocate Akhtar Cheema, the inmates are seeking an interpretation of Rule 197 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, which governs prisoner transfers to hospitals. The IHC had dismissed their petitions on August 31 after rejecting their request for treatment at private hospitals similar to Imran Khan's.
Written for “Pakistani Prison Privileges” on 2026-09-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score withheld for article 7133: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-09-08
Three Adiala jail inmates approached the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Tuesday to challenge the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) dismissal of their pleas seeking treatment at private hospitals, similar to the relief granted to incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan.
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inmates → approach → Khan
“We are seeking interpretation of Rule 197 of the Pakistan Prison Rules, 1978, which governs the manner and mode of the transfer of a prisoner to the hospital,” Advocate Akhtar Cheema told Dawn.
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Cheema → seek → Dawn
He added that the relief had become “necessary” after the Aug 18 Supreme Court order regarding Imran, which had directed the government to shift the PTI founder to Shifa International Hospital, a private facility.
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which → add → Hospital
However, the government had taken him to the government-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
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government → take → Sciences
Subsequently, three Adiala inmates had approached the IHC seeking relief similar to that granted to Imran.
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inmates → approach → Imran
On Aug 31, the IHC had dismissed the petitions.
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IHC → dismiss → petitions
On Tuesday, Advocate Cheema appeared on behalf of one of the prisoners, Muhammad Ilyas Khan.
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Cheema → appear → prisoners
He said the other inmates, namely Mohammad Ismail Hussain and Owais Altaf, were being represented by Advocates Irfan Nasir Cheema and Syed Jaffer Baqir, respectively.
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inmates → say → Cheema
“Three separate petitions were filed before the FCC today,” he said.
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he → file → FCC
Advocate Cheema said that Rule 197 prescribed that inmates could be shifted to a civil hospital, arguing that the distinction being drawn by the government that the term only referred to a public hospital was wrong.
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term → say → hospital
He said the wording implied a distinction between a military and government hospital, adding that against the backdrop of the Aug 18 SC order, any inmate with a serious ailment could be shifted to a private hospital for treatment, paid by their family.
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inmate → say → family
Cheema said his client had severe internal bleeding issues and had been brought to the public hospital for treatment eight times during the last two months.
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client → say → months
“Given the condition of the public hospital system, we have no trust that my client will get appropriate medical attention at a public hospital,” he said.
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he → give → hospital
The petitions filed in the FCC requested that the previous IHC decision be declared null and void, and that “the petitioners be provided with the same medical facilities as available to the PTI founder”, Cheema told Dawn.
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Cheema → file → Dawn
The petition contended that Article 25 of the Constitution mandated equal treatment for all citizens, arguing that the three petitioners should be granted the same treatment as was ordered for Imran.
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petitioners → contend → Imran
The petition also requested the FCC to issue directions for the prisoners to be allowed to communicate with family members living abroad through WhatsApp.
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prisoners → request → WhatsApp
While dismissing the petitions, the IHC had held that imprisonment meant restrictions on freedom according to law, and that “every technical facility cannot be declared a fundamental right”.
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facility → dismiss → law
A prisoner, it said, had no legal right to be transferred to a private hospital of his choice.
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it → say → choice
