Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s health has become the latest flashpoint surrounding his more than three years in prison. After months of concerns over his health and repeated disputes over access to medical care, Pakistan’s Supreme Court finally ordered on August 18 that Khan be taken to a hospital for medical evaluation.

The circumstances surrounding his medical care remain fluid. But the larger issue is not. Khan remains imprisoned amid a broader erosion of civilian and democratic institutions and the extraordinary political power exercised by Pakistan’s military establishment.