‘Imran Khan would not have spent three years in jail if he wanted a deal,’ says Barrister Gohar | The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan on Monday said party founder Imran Khan had made no deal with the government, arguing that he would not have spent three years in jail if he had wanted to negotiate a deal.

Speaking outside the Supreme Court alongside senior lawyer Latif Khosa, Gohar said the party’s immediate focus was on Imran’s health and securing implementation of the Supreme Court’s August 18 order directing his transfer to Shifa International Hospital.

“Khan sahab does not make deals. He will not stay in the hospital for a minute beyond what is necessary for his tests and treatment. If he wanted to make a deal, he would not have spent three years in jail,” Gohar said.

The Supreme Court ordered18 that Imran be moved to Shifa International Hospital for treatment for the next few days and directed the government to arrange weekly meetings between him and his family. In response, the government had filed a review petition before the apex court, calling its order “discriminatory in nature”. Following the order, speculation emerged that Imran may have reached an understanding with the authorities over his possible release from prison.

Read More: Imran taken to PIMS instead of Shifa, declared medically fit and returned to Adiala: Tarar

On August 21, Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for a medical examination in the early hours of morning and returned to Adiala jail after doctors declared him “medically fit”. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Imran was taken to the government-run facility because of the security situation created by PTI workers outside and on the way to Shifa International Hospital.

Gohar noted Imran had been taken to PIMS, describing the move as “a clear violation” of the Supreme Court’s order. “We have requested the Supreme Court to ensure implementation of the August 18 order,” he said. He added that PTI had approached the apex court 15 times and the high courts 25 times, adding: “We have always knocked on the doors of the courts.”

He further said he and Khosa had sought a meeting with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi but instead met the Supreme Court registrar. The registrar, he said, had assured them that the party’s contempt petition would be numbered on Monday and that a note would be placed before the chief justice for fixing the case.

“We have requested that this case be heard tomorrow or the day after,” he said. “Supreme Court orders cannot be ignored. The world is watching whether the Supreme Court will implement its own order. This is our basic right,” he added.

PTI seeks medical board changes

 

Gohar said the party wanted Imran’s sister, Dr Uzma, and his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan, to be included in his medical board and called for all of his medical tests to be conducted.

He said PTI was not currently focused on politics but on Imran’s health, adding that meetings with the former prime minister had been stopped for around 10 months. “This is a humanitarian crisis. We are asking the Supreme Court to have its order implemented,” he added.

Responding to a question about Dr Uzma’s statement that Imran was fit, Gohar said appearing physically well was different from receiving the medical care recommended by doctors.

He said Imran’s doctor had submitted a report after examining him in jail and had recommended certain tests and other measures. “We are moving forward according to the doctor’s instructions,” he added.

Gohar also questioned why Imran could not be treated at a private hospital. “Have people not stayed at Ziauddin Hospital before? Do people not stay at Shifa International Hospital? Have people not previously been taken to other hospitals? Has the government never done this before?” he asked.

“Once an order has been issued, it should be implemented until the Supreme Court itself reviews or changes that order. It is as simple as that,” he maintained.

Questions detention of Imran’s physician

Gohar also referred to the detention of Imran’s physician, Dr Faisal, who was taken to Shifa International Hospital.

“He was taken properly to Shifa International, but Imran Khan was not brought there. So, on what grounds was he detained for five hours?” Gohar asked, adding that the matter had also been mentioned in the contempt petition.

Khosa, speaking separately, said the registrar had informed them that one judge was at the Lahore registry. “We said cases have previously been heard through video link,” Khosa said.

Gohar also said Imran had not expressed displeasure with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi or the PTI leadership.

Asked whether he had met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi before the Supreme Court order concerning Imran, Gohar said, “I have met him from time to time,” but added that he could not disclose details of the meetings.

He concluded by saying that PTI hoped the Supreme Court would fix the contempt petition for an early hearing and ensure implementation of its order.

 

Imran’s hospital transfer

The Supreme Court on August 18 ordered Imran’s transfer to Shifa for treatment for several days, along with weekly meetings with his family and access to his personal physician, Dr Faisal. The court also ordered the formation of a medical board, including an eye specialist, cardiologist, general physician and Dr Sultan, with Imran’s sister Dr Uzma to be associated with it.

The government had challenged the order, describing the private-hospital transfer as discriminatory, but the review petition could not be heard before the 48-hour period set by the court expired.

After midnight on August 21, Imran was taken from Adiala Jail amid heavy security. Shifa was surrounded by police and roads leading to the hospital were blocked. But instead of being admitted to Shifa, he was taken to PIMS.

Also Read: Imran hospital transfer ‘drama’ riles up PTI

Tarar revealed the next morning that the decision was made because of the security situation created by PTI workers around Shifa. He said Shifa doctors were present at PIMS and that a team including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician examined Imran and declared him medically fit.

Imran was returned to Adiala Jail at around 5am.

His sister Dr Uzma, however, gave a very different account of the night, saying she was taken to PIMS after being summoned to Adiala Jail and found Imran there. She said he had been expecting to go to Shifa and that she repeatedly asked officials whether they would be taken there but received no answer.

According to Dr Uzma, Imran complained of severe anxiety and repeatedly told her that he had been subjected to “great injustice” and “torture” through prolonged isolation. “Go and tell everyone that they are subjecting me to severe injustice and torture,” she quoted him as saying.

She also said Imran compared his treatment to that of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, who died in custody.

Read More: PTI files contempt petition in SC over alleged violation of order on Imran’s hospital transfer

The PTI accused the government of deliberately violating the Supreme Court’s order and announced that it would approach the court with a contempt petition. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi called the transfer to PIMS contempt of the court’s order, while PTI leaders questioned why Imran had been returned to prison after only a medical examination.

The dispute also drew in other opposition parties. Speaking alongside opposition lawmakers, National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai said there had been an opportunity to ease the country’s political crisis. “If Imran Khan had remained in a hospital bed instead of a prison cell for a week and doctors had properly examined him, what would have happened?”

The opposition subsequently decided to approach the Supreme Court over the issue and reaffirmed plans for a long march on September 27.

The government, meanwhile, maintained that Imran had received the necessary medical care and that security concerns had made PIMS the more appropriate venue.

The episode has now set up another confrontation before the Supreme Court, with the PTI seeking a ruling on whether taking Imran to PIMS instead of Shifa amounted to a failure to implement the court’s order.