Claim: A video shows a high-security protocol escorting former prime minister Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital.
Fact: The clip can be traced back to April 2026 and does not show Khan en route to the hospital.
On the night of 20 August 2026, a Facebook page named IK Today shared a video of a security convoy, claiming it belonged to former prime minister Imran Khan as he was shifted from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, for a medical checkup.
The caption reads:
یہ اُس انسان کا قافلہ ہے جسے پورے پاکستان کی عوام کی حمایت حاصل ہے، اور جس سے اقتدار کے ایوان خوفزدہ ہیں۔ 🇵🇰”
“عمران خان الشفاء ہسپتال کی طرف رواں دواں! ✊🔥
[Translation: This is the caravan of the man who enjoys the support of the entire Pakistani nation—and whom the corridors of power fear. 🇵🇰 Imran Khan is en route to Al-Shifa Hospital!”]
Imran Khan’s medical checkup
On 18 August 2026, the Supreme Court directed authorities to transfer Khan to Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad within two days for examination and treatment by a medical board. The board was to include a physician, general surgeon, specialist in internal medicine, eye specialist, and cardiologist. The court also permitted Khan’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, and his sister Dr Uzma Khan to remain associated with his examination and treatment.
The decision came after Khan approached the apex court in May, asking the Supreme Court to grant him access to his personal physicians, family and counsel due to concerns regarding the deterioration of his right eye.
Previously, in January 2026, he was taken from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, where he underwent a 20-minute procedure for an eye condition after specialists recommended further assessment and treatment. Concerns about his eyesight continued in the following months, while his lawyers and family sought greater access to specialist doctors and his personal physician.
An excerpt from the Supreme Court’s 18 August 2026 order directing authorities to transfer Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital within two days. Screenshot: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf/X
The federal government filed a review petition on 19 August, seeking the recall of the order and arguing that transferring a prisoner to a private hospital conflicted with the existing legal framework. During the night of 20 and 21 August, authorities took Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), rather than Shifa International Hospital, and returned him to Adiala Jail at around 5 am.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Khan was taken to PIMS because of security concerns along the planned route to Shifa and that doctors had declared him medically fit. On the other hand, PTI accused the government of contempt of court for the change of hospital and lack of access to his personal physician, which violated the Supreme Court’s directions.
At a press conference on 21 August, Khan’s sister Dr Uzma Khan said he appeared physically fit and that his blood pressure was normal, but he had complained about his treatment in custody. She quoted him as saying he had been subjected to “cruelty” and said he had complained about prolonged solitary confinement and lack of human contact.
During the press conference, Dr Faisal Sultan shared that he had been taken separately to Shifa International Hospital, where he waited for two and a half hours before being told Khan was unlikely to arrive. PTI said it would file a contempt petition over what it described as non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s order.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check first checked if any credible publications had shared the clip under investigation. Social media pages of Pakistani news channels like Geo News, ARY News and Samaa TV posted different footage of the moment Khan was on his way to the hospital.
Screenshots of footage posted by Samaa TV, Geo News and ARY News showing Imran Khan enroute to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad.
A reverse-image search of the clip under investigation led to several other Facebook and X accounts making a similar claim. However, one TikTok account named Hamza and an Instagram account named Shayan Protocol Mobility shared the video on 11 April 2026, predating the claim.
Video under investigation shared on TikTok and Instagram on 11 April 2026, predating the claim.
The caption of the TikTok post reads:
“High security protocol in Islamabad Pakistan #pakistan #jdvance #usa🇺🇸 #iran #pakistan.”
The caption of the Instagram post reads:
“High security protocol in Islamabad for elite-level international movement.
Today’s environment demanded maximum security presence as high-profile individuals gathered under strict protocol.
This is how professional bouncers protocol mobility & VIP security systems operate in real-time.
✔ High-alert security deployment
✔ Professional bouncers & protocol teams
✔ Controlled movement & protection
✔ Elite-level security standards
For those who understand real security — this is the standard.
📍 Pakistan
📲 Follow for elite security & protocol content
The actual context of the video remains undetermined, but since it can be traced back to April 2026, Soch Fact Check concluded that the clip of a heavy security protocol does not show Khan enroute to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad on the night of August 20.
Virality
Soch Fact Check first came across a viral post on Facebook with as many as 13,500 likes and 2,000 shares. It garnered more reach after it was shared by other users on the platform where it received 17,500 likes and 777 likes separately.
The clip was also shared on Instagram where it garnered 677 and 1,000 likes separately. It was also shared by journalist Mehreen Zahra-Malik on her X account.
Conclusion: The viral video of a high-security protocol does not show former prime minister Imran Khan enroute to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. The clip can be traced back to April 2026. Notably, as well, Khan was taken to PIMS Hospital and not Shifa International Hospital as claimed by the posts sharing this video.
To appeal against our fact-check, please send an email to appeals@sochfactcheck.com