Imran Khan to Leave Adiala Jail? SC Orders Former PM’s Transfer to Shifa Hospital
There was big relief for Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) on August 18 as the Supreme Court ordered that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be shifted to a private hospital, Shifa International Hospital, in Islamabad within the next two days. For a long time, almost a year, the party’s lawyers have been trying to get bail or some other form of relief for the PTI founder. However, the government has used all means, fair and foul, to keep him in the infamous Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.
For the past several months, Imran has been kept in solitary confinement and not allowed to meet any members of his family. His three sisters have been in the forefront of trying to get medical treatment for Imran after he developed an infection in his right eye. Some PTI leaders have said that the former PM has lost almost 85 per cent vision in this eye but the government has disputed this claim, according to a Dawn report.
Responding to the apex court order, Pakistan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has said that the government would act upon the SC’s order “to the very letter”. He said: “Our differences with the PTI founder are political, not personal.”
Chaudhry stressed that Imran’s health had been and would remain a responsibility of the Federal government.
The PTI and the government have been engaged in a blame game, with the latter accusing the former of a lack of transparency in not ensuring appropriate treatment for Imran. On a couple of occasions, the PTI went to the extent of accusing the government of deliberately blocking urgent medical treatment needed by Imran.
The Supreme Court order was issued by a three-judge Bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, and also comprising Justices Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Ishtiaq Ibrahim. The order was issued on several petitions seeking Imran’s hospitalisation as well as meetings with his family members in a packed courtroom No 3.
The court proceedings were also attended by the PTI founder’s sisters, namely Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi and Dr Uzma Khan, as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, among others. When approached by the media soon after the proceedings ended, Aleema said she could not comment in view of the assurances given to the court that they would not speak to the media.
Imran, his sister Dr Uzma, Mashal Azam and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja had approached the apex court seeking directions for his transfer to Shifa International Hospital. The petitions had also prayed for access to his personal physicians, family members and counsel, and the provision of his medical details to his family.
On Tuesday, the court ordered the concerned officer or government, in consultation and coordination with the management of Shifa International Hospital, to constitute a medical board comprising a physician, a general surgeon, an internal medicine specialist, an eye specialist and a cardiologist to examine and treat the prisoner. Dr Faisal Sultan, Imran’s personal physician, and Dr Uzma will be permitted to remain associated with the prisoner’s medical examination and treatment.
“We are mindful of the constitutional and legal obligation of the state, and consequently of the Supreme Court, to safeguard the life, health, dignity and security of persons in custody,” said the order authored by Justice Waheed.
“A prisoner does not, by reason of his incarceration, cease to be entitled to humane treatment and necessary medical care,” the order said. The order would be complied with by the respondents, including the government, its officers and agencies, in letter and spirit until the next date of hearing, the court said.
During the hearing, Additional Attorney General (AAG) Chaudhry Aamer Rehman raised a serious objection to the maintainability of the petition and submitted that, being incompetent, the petition did not entitle the petitioner to any relief. However, he was over-ruled by the court and order giving relief to Imran was issued.
The seven-page order stated that the concerned officer/government would, through a proper application, place before the apex court the complete medical record of the petitioner. These should include all medical tests and reports, prescriptions, medical opinions, examination reports and details of the treatment administered to him from the date of his arrest until the present date.
The order further stated that the authorities, through the Advocate General Islamabad, will also furnish details of all meetings held during the preceding three months between the prisoner, Imran, his family members and lawyers.