ISLAMABAD (MNN); Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Friday said the decision to take PTI founder Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), instead of Shifa International Hospital as directed by the Supreme Court, was made by security agencies and was not politically motivated.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed the government to shift Imran Khan to the private Shifa International Hospital for medical examination and treatment. Security arrangements had reportedly been completed at the hospital, with police and law enforcement personnel deployed in and around the area.
Speaking on Geo News programme Naya Pakistan, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said Imran Khan had left Adiala Jail under a planned security arrangement, but the decision was changed while he was being transported.
According to the minister, security agencies reassessed the situation and concluded that they could not guarantee law and order or provide the required security at Shifa International Hospital.
He maintained that the decision to divert Imran Khan to PIMS was taken solely by the relevant security and law enforcement authorities.
“If security agencies believe they cannot adequately secure a particular location, the government has to take their assessment into account,” he said, insisting that the change of hospital was not a political decision.
Dr Chaudhry said alternative arrangements were available for the movement of high-profile individuals and added that police, administrative officials and the medical team had already been deployed at Shifa International Hospital.
Responding to questions about Imran Khan’s personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, who reportedly remained at Shifa International Hospital for several hours while Imran was examined at PIMS, the minister said he was unaware at the time that Dr Sultan had been left waiting at Shifa and learned about it later.
He maintained that, apart from the last-minute change in the hospital, the Supreme Court’s directions had been implemented in letter and spirit and denied that the government had committed contempt of court.
PTI Alleges Contempt of Court
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, however, rejected the government’s position and accused it of committing contempt of court by failing to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital.
He questioned the composition of the medical board and claimed that Imran Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan, was unfamiliar with the doctors examining him, while his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, was not included in the medical team.
Akram also disputed claims of a major security threat outside Shifa International Hospital, saying there were more media personnel than PTI workers or members of the public in the area.
He said the government could still address the issue by transferring Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital before the PTI formally files a contempt petition before the Supreme Court.
Earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Imran Khan underwent a detailed medical examination at PIMS during the night between August 20 and 21 before being transferred back to Adiala Jail.
According to Tarar, a team comprising an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician examined Imran Khan and declared him medically fit. He said Dr Uzma Khan was also present during the medical examination.
Tarar maintained that the decision to take Imran Khan to PIMS was made in view of the security situation near and on the route to Shifa International Hospital.
Meanwhile, Dr Uzma Khan said she and Dr Faisal Sultan were asked to reach Adiala Jail on Thursday night. According to her account, the two were later separated, with Dr Faisal Sultan taken towards Shifa International Hospital while she was taken to PIMS, where she later met Imran Khan during his medical examination.
