The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered on Tuesday that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be moved to hospital from jail, meeting a longstanding demand of his party and family, who had raised concerns about his health.

Cricketer-turned-politician Khan, 73, has been in jail in the garrison town of Rawalpindi since August 2023, convicted in a string of cases that he says were politically driven following his ouster in 2022.

His sons repeatedly expressed concern regarding his deteriorating health last year, with his lawyers saying he had lost significant vision in his right eye while in prison.

“Mindful of the fundamental right, we are issuing this order to ensure health and safety of the prisoner,” said Justice Shahid Waheed, head of the three-judge bench that heard the petition.