ISLAMABAD: The National Dialogue Committee (NDC) on Saturday expressed concern about the health of incarcerated PTI founder and ex-premier Imran Khan, demanding that he be allowed to meet his personal physician.
The development two days after the government confirmed Imran underwent a medical procedure for an eye ailment last week at a hospital in Islamabad, drawing outrage from the PTI that claimed that neither the party nor his family were informed about the procedure.
On Saturday, the NDC — set up by ex-PTI leaders, including Fawad Chaudhry, Dr Shahzad Waseem and former Sindh governor Imran Ismail — met in Islamabad. Chaudhry, Ismail, former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar and veteran politician Munir Ahmad Khan were among those who attended.
In a statement released after the meeting, the NDC expressed serious concern over the PTI founder’s health as well as the government’s confirmation that Imran underwent an eye procedure last week.
It demanded that a meeting be arranged between Imran and his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, so the PTI founder could receive immediate and quality medical treatment.
“God forbid, if any harm comes to the PTI founder’s health, the entire leadership of the ruling coalition will be responsible, and the right to take legal action against them is reserved,” the statement said.
It noted that a medical board was formed for ex-premier Nawaz Sharif during his incarceration and his personal physician was allowed meetings, saying that Imran should be allowed the same.
“The right to health for any prisoner is an inalienable right under the law. Depriving any prisoner of their legitimate legal right to treatment, deliberately endangering their health, is equivalent to taking their life and constitutes a criminal act. The ruling coalition should stop politicising the health of political opponents,” it said.
The group also condemned the government’s attitude, stating that the federal and Punjab governments’ approach toward Imran’s treatment was “regrettable, undemocratic, and contrary to their political claims”.
“The ruling coalition of the PML-N and PPP has always preached against politicising health issues, yet their actions against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, and other political prisoners — based on political opposition — were in clear violation of their own past statements, claims, and advice,” the group stated.
The group expressed regret that the government engaged in “concealing facts” regarding Imran’s eye condition.
“Despite several days passing, lies continued to be told about the matter, which indicates that the federal and Punjab governments are deliberately attempting to defame state institutions,” the statement said.
The group also condemned and expressed disappointment over the remarks by opposition leader in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who said Imran’s health was not as bad as it was being portrayed.
They said that Achakzai was the government’s “B-team” and claimed that his continuous “silence” after becoming opposition leader was evidence that he was siding with the government, according to the statement.
“The opposition leader’s role on the PTI founder’s health is the same as that of the government and its ministers”, it stated. It also called for the PTI and opposition leadership to stage a joint sit-in at the gate of the Prime Minister’s House.
It is worth mentioning that the executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Professor Dr Rana Imran Sikander, said early on Saturday that Imran’s eye procedure was completed “smoothly” and that he remained “stable” during the intervention.
“It (the procedure) was completed smoothly in approximately 20 minutes. During the treatment, the patient remained vitally stable and was discharged with routine post-procedure care instructions and follow-up advice and documents,” he said in a video statement.
