ISLAMABAD: Eight members of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) have strongly criticised the government for what they described as the “blatant, wilful, and deliberate violation” of the Supreme Court’s order directing the transfer of PTI founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the members said the Supreme Court’s August 18 order was clear and binding, but the executive had chosen to disregard its directions. They warned that such defiance undermined the independence and authority of the judiciary, the rule of law and constitutional governance.

The signatories included PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, Abid Shahid Zuberi, Maqsood Buttar, Shafqat Mehmood Chauhan, Munir Ahmed Kakar, Abdul Sattar Khan, Salahuddin Ahmed, and Qazi Muhammad Arshad.

The members said filing a review petition against the Supreme Court order did not suspend its implementation. They demanded that those responsible for violating the court’s directions be identified and face legal proceedings.

The controversy followed the government’s decision to take Imran to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead of Shifa International Hospital. The government said doctors examined him and declared him medically fit.

Meanwhile, PBC Vice Chairman Pir Muhammad Masood Chistie clarified that the statement represented the views of the eight members and did not reflect the Pakistan Bar Council’s collective position.