ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s personal physician was not allowed to enter the Adiala Jail to examine the medical condition of the former prime minister.
The PTI sources said Imran’s personal physician Dr Asim Hussain reached Adiala Jail on Tuesday, but was not granted permission to enter the prison.
PTI officials reported that Dr Hussain, who is also the CEO of Shaukat Khanum Hospital, waited outside the jail to see Imran Khan, but he was not granted permission to enter the jail premises.
The party had raised concerns over the PTI leader’s health and demanded a medical examination be allowed.
The PTI, on Tuesday, called off a planned protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk after the government assured that Khan would receive a medical check-up.
The party had previously threatened demonstrations if the authorities failed to ensure proper medical care for their leader.
The PTI deferred its scheduled protest at D-Chowk on October 15 after the government finally agreed to its demands. It also cited the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit as the reason for the change in plans.
The decision was made by PTI’s political committee after a meeting, where the majority of participants urged the party to back off from the protest, considering the high-stakes moot.
Earlier in the day, the PTI parliamentary party floated the idea of deferring the protest if PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan could secure a meeting with the party’s founder.
The meeting resolved that the protests would be postponed if the government addressed their key concerns.
Preparations for the protest were in full swing, with PTI leadership issuing marching orders to ticket holders and party workers from across the country to descend on D-Chowk.
The party had also summoned its workers to gather in Swabi by noon on Tuesday in preparation for the Islamabad demonstration, signalling that PTI was ready to go the distance until the government blinked first.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan confirmed the move, explaining that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had reached out to the party, assuring them that a medical examination of the party’s founder, Imran Khan, would be conducted on Tuesday morning.
He said that since the party’s demands have been met, its protest is deferred. He told that a team of doctors would visit the jailed PTI founder for a detailed medical check-up.
Following the cancellation, PTI has directed its workers to stand down and halt all preparations.
Barrister Gohar clarified that the protest was always conditional, and with the government accepting their demands, the party saw no reason to continue. “We have postponed the protest, but it’s not off the table. If our conditions aren’t fully met, we will regroup,” he said in a video statement.
Gohar further revealed that Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had formally contacted the party, ensuring access to Imran Khan for medical treatment would be reinstated. “Doctors will be sent to Adiala Jail this morning,” Gohar added.
Earlier in the day, in response to PTI’s call for a protest, police launched raids as PTI candidates and workers went into hiding to avoid arrest.
The interior minister had issued strict security directives to the district administration regarding the SCO summit, stating that no gatherings of any kind will be permitted in Islamabad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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