Salman Akram Raja terms government’s refusal to allow meetings a ‘barbaric act’
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja addresses a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, flanked by Vice Chairman Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar. SCREENGRAB
The leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) voiced grave concern on Wednesday over reports that party founder Imran Khan was taken to a hospital last week without informing his party or family, calling it “abuse” and demanding immediate access to him.
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. In addition, he faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests of May 9, 2023. The party had expressed concern a day ago over Imran’s health, alleging that jail authorities and the government were obstructing treatment for a “serious eye condition” and demanding immediate medical care.
Concerns about Imran’s health were raised at a press conference addressed by Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, alongside PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
Abbas said the leadership was disturbed by news circulating about Imran’s health. Commenting on the matter, he said reports suggested that Imran was taken to a hospital without the knowledge of either his family or his party.
“This is an abuse. They think that this will hurt his family and the people; this is their mistake. The people are hating them (the state) day by day,” he said.
Raja also expressed serious concern over the reports and demanded an immediate meeting with Imran and Bushra Bibi.
“A person who is ill, about whom reports are emerging that there are serious concerns regarding his health — why was he brought to a hospital, and why are we not being informed about this?” Raja said, citing a local media report which stated that sometime between Saturday and Sunday night, Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
He said the reports had amplified the party’s concerns many times over, adding that it was demanding immediate permission to meet Imran. Raja further said he fully endorsed the same demand regarding Bushra Bibi, stressing that “the solitary confinement in which she has been placed must be ended immediately.”
Read: PTI voices concern over Imran’s eye condition, demands immediate treatment
He further said that Imran’s personal physicians, who had no political affiliation, had repeatedly petitioned the courts to allow doctors from Shaukat Khanum Hospital, as well as dental and eye specialists, to examine and meet him, but this facility had not yet been provided.
“We are deeply concerned by the reports emerging about Imran Khan’s health. On this basis, a demand was made that his personal physicians be allowed to meet him immediately and conduct a comprehensive medical examination, but we have been told that this request, too, was not deemed admissible,” Raja said.
Calling the government’s refusal to allow meetings a “barbaric act”, Raja said the party had approached the Islamabad High Court chief justice and requested him to use the administrative and legislative authority he held. “We asked him to direct the advocate general to make this meeting happen as soon as possible, and that doctors and daughters should be allowed to meet them immediately,” he said.
Raja said that the solitary confinement of Imran and Bushra, their placement in punishment cells, and restrictions on meetings were unacceptable under any circumstances. “We have been informed that Bushra Bibi’s last meeting with her daughters — who are completely apolitical — took place on November 4. This situation is extremely concerning,” he added.
Referring to protests planned for February 8, Raja said the call for a Day of Mourning announced by opposition coalition Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayin Pakistan was a duty of the entire nation.
“This is not a matter of any one personality or party. It is an insult to the nation’s vote. God willing, this Day of Mourning will one day become a Day of Democracy. We all must play our part in this struggle,” he said.
Abbas also announced that a ‘black day’ would be observed on Feb 8.
“Anyone who is patriotic, loves Pakistan, and believes that the path the country is being put on is wrong and leading to destruction, will register their protest on that day,” he said.
He added that a full-scale public contact campaign would be launched until Feb 8. “We will go to the people, talk to our neighbors, talk to the shopkeepers in the streets, inform the residents and citizens. We will contact transport unions, rickshaw unions and trade organisations,” he said.
“Our students and youth will talk to their colleagues, women will contact women. The aim is to tell the public that the entire country is suffering the consequences of the atrocities that took place today,” Abbas added.
He said a shutter-down strike would be observed on February 8 through organisational contacts, followed by separate plans for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab.
“In the evening, torchlight processions will be taken out wherever possible — in our neighborhoods, in our cities, and in every place where our voices can be raised peacefully,” he said, adding that all activities would remain peaceful.
“No one will be abused, no one will be tortured, no one will be insulted, and no kind of arson will be allowed. We are civilised people and will not damage anyone’s personal or government property,” he added.
