ISLAMABAD:The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the transfer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital.
The Supreme Court has asked that Imran Khan be moved to Shifa hospital by next hearing, mandating the formation of a medical board. The court stressed that he should be transferred with adequate security measures in place and that law and order in the hospital should not be affected.
In the course of the hearing of petitions relating to meetings and medical treatment, Justice Shahid Waheed asked what the issue was, asking for the full medical records which were only summarised. Justice Shahid Waheed said that the records presented in court are not kept classified, adding that all the medical records of the party’s founder be submitted before the next hearing.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan said that the report suggested for angiography and asked if an angiography could be performed inside the jail, to which Advocate General Islamabad said it could be done at an external hospital. Justice Shahid Waheed said that the pulse and heart of the PTI founder were not normal, as per medical reports, vital organs have started affecting him.
If anyone broke the law, the Advocate General Islamabad said, then there will be no meetings when the bench asked about meeting with the sisters of any. In response, the court raised questions on whether the state would also be violating the law if a visitor did, the court asked, since the right to meet with his sisters is fundamental, and why the Islamabad High Court’s instructions were not being fulfilled.
Advocate General Islamabad told the court that 48 meetings were arranged between the PTI founder and his sisters in the last three years. As a result, the Supreme Court asked for all the information regarding the meetings he has had with his sisters during the past three years and records of his telephone calls with his children.
PTI lawyer Uzair Bhandari called for the right to meet to be given to his sisters and doctors. Justice Naeem Akhtar said the PTI can’t politicize the health of the founder. Uzair Bhandari asked for a full examination of the PTI founder’s condition at Shifa International Hospital, which Justice Shahid Waheed questioned whether there would be a guarantee for a media talk there would be outside. The counsel, representing Dr. Uzma, assured the court that Dr. Uzma and Dr. Asim would not speak to the media after the visit.
The court enquired if Dr. Uzma is a PhD doctor, to which the counsel explained that she is a medical doctor. Dr. Asim Yusuf is a gastroenterologist, Justice Shahid Waheed wrote, and the founder does not have any stomach problems, he added but no petitioner had asked the doctors that examined the founder about their expertise.
The Advocate General Islamabad told the court of such violation of assurances in connection with media talks during visits and Salman Akram Raja through his friends had pointed out that if an undertaking was violated by a media talk, then it is his responsibility and not that of others. Justice Shahid Waheed stated it was possible to take action against Salman Akram Raja, if the contempt of court action was launched against the officials. Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan emphasized that the PTI leadership should get over the issue of politics and respect the health status of founder and the treatment he receives.
The PTI and the family will have to file an affidavit before the visits affirming that there will be no media interaction, Justice Shahid Waheed said. The court had prohibited Dr Uzma Khan, from speaking directly during the course of the proceedings, and restrict herself to her counsel.
Uzair Bhandari expressed his desire to prevent additional occurrences of the past history and called for finding out the cause of blood clotting.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan asked for the specifics of all cases filed against the PTI President and said how many cases he is an under trial in, how many cases have been convicted against him and how many cases are pending with a suspended sentence against him.
The Supreme Court ordered the Adiala Jail authorities to provide details of all the visits during the last three years and why the Islamabad High Court orders were ignored. The court postponed the hearing on the case till after the summer vacations, and directed Adiala Jail authorities to appear at the next hearing.
The Supreme Court again ordered the move of the PTI founder to Shifa Hospital for the next hearing, formation of a medical board, tight security arrangements during the transfer and securing public safety and order outside the hospital.