Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday said the government did not want to “politicise” the matter of PTI founder Imran Khan’s health, while blaming the opposition for doing the same.
The opposition, PTI and Imran’s family have voiced concerns over the former prime minister’s health after his
eye ailment
came to light
late in January.
Addressing the media in Lahore, Naqvi referred to the recent
medical report
prepared by a team of doctors who examined the jailed ex-premier on Sunday.
“The medical report also came forward yesterday and everything is clear as per it. Neither we nor the government want to politicise this,” he said, adding that there were certain “requests” which the authorities allowed but were not suitable to publicise at the moment.
“Putting up such a show is extremely inappropriate, especially misleading people,” the minister said.
“Still, we picked our best government and private doctors because it had been three days and the checkup had not taken place,” he insisted.
Naqvi said he then invited PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan to reach Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Sunday to witness
Imran’s checkup
but the former refused, citing party consultations.
Detailing the communication between the authorities and the opposition, Naqvi said Gohar was given the time of 2:30pm. “We kept on waiting for an hour but Gohar
sahib
replied in the negative, that he has consulted with his party and would not be able to come.”
“Our intention was that the check-up be performed in front of everyone,” he asserted, adding that the doctors were at the Adiala jail for about 1.25-1.5 hours for the examination.
Naqvi stated that Gohar, along with the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders — Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai — and their preferred doctors, was then invited to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad.
There, the doctors who examined Imran briefed the opposition leaders, and according to Naqvi, the delegation expressed satisfaction over the treatment.
However, the minister claimed, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum told the PTI that the “issue would die down” if the opposition accepted the government’s arrangements.
Recalling previous contacts between the government and the opposition with the mediation of NA Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Naqvi asserted: “We made one thing very clear that in the matter of treatment, we will provide whatever facility is available to any incarcerated person as per the Constitution and the law.”
He stated that the government had sought the name of a “non-political” eye specialist for examining Imran, but the other side refused and insisted on a family member accompanying the doctor, which was also agreed to.
“I am saying all this as it is on record and you can ask the PTI leaders about this,” the minister affirmed. He further said that the name of Kasim, who he said was a cousin, was also given by the party to come along, which was allowed.
“When both things had taken place, they said ‘no, not like this, you must admit him to a hospital for a week and we will not accept anything else’,” Naqvi claimed.
The minister said the authorities would “100 per cent” have Imran hospitalised for “even two weeks” given that the doctors recommended it.
“But if the doctors do not recommend, then how can we have him admitted?” he asked. “It is not possible that just on your recommendation we admit him to hospital for one week.”
More to follow
— Source: Dawn (https://www.dawn.com/news/1973897/govt-does-not-want-to-politicise-imrans-health-says-interior-minister-naqvi)
