ISLAMABAD: The government on Saturday blamed the PTI for “violating” a Supreme Court (SC) order by issuing statements and speaking to the media following former prime minister Imran Khan’s medical check-up at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Friday.
“PML-N believes that health issues should not be used for political gain,” Information Minister Attaullah Tarar told the media.
He added that, whether in opposition or in government, the PML-N’s stance had always remained the same: politics and health issues should not be linked.
The minister also accused Imran of issuing statements and releasing videos about the health of PML-N leaders when they were incarcerated and he was prime minister.
Tarar added that since the SC order regarding Imran’s health was issued, “our government has not mocked him or made any controversial statements”.
Recounting events of the past few days, Tarar said that after the SC order was issued, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar had explained the government’s position on it in detail.
“The viewpoint was that whatever will happen, it will be according to the law,” Tarar said.
He added that the government’s review petition “respectfully questioned whether the facility was available to every prisoner”. Secondly, he said, the petition questioned whether the law and Constitution allowed Imran to be examined at a private hospital.
Tarar then elaborated on the implementation of the SC’s order.
“The next question is whether the order was implemented. The answer is yes. Was the check-up conducted? Yes. Was it done transparently? Yes. Was his sister present? Yes. Were doctors from Shifa [Hospital] present? Yes. All the obligations were fulfilled.”
Tarar also addressed the communication of these developments to the media and the general public. He said that shortly after the government filed its review petition, the law minister had explained its grounds in detail.
He added that after Imran’s check-up was completed at Pims, he himself posted an update on X.
Tarar said he was “surprised” by the PTI’s subsequent statements and actions. “PTI is miles away from the light of knowledge,” he said, adding that the party would not have filed a contempt petition had it been aware of the situation.
“A baseless contempt petition has been filed.”
The facts were shared with the public immediately, he said, adding that the government had maintained transparency throughout.
“Contempt has definitely happened,” he said, adding that the SC had directed that no political motives should be involved in the medical check-up. However, Tarar said, people gathered outside Shifa Hospital, created social media content and removed barriers.
“Wasn’t it the PTI that did this? Didn’t they violate the court order?”
He added that the PTI had also issued statements and spoken at press conferences.
“If somebody is in contempt, it is Imran Khan’s sister and his party.
“The prisoner’s family was in contempt. His party was in contempt by gathering people and creating problems for the authorities.”
He remarked that this was the first time a political party had created problems for its own founder’s health and treatment.
Tarar added that earlier the Pakistan Bar Council and Punjab Bar Council had issued statements saying that some lawyers associated with the two bodies were, in their personal capacities, issuing statements to politicise the matter. Both councils had clarified that the bar councils should be kept separate from the issue, he said.
“Some lawyers have tried to pollute bar politics,” Tarar said.
Eight members of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Saturday strongly condemned the government’s “blatant, wilful and deliberate violation” of the SC’s Aug 18 order.
“The order of the SC was clear, unequivocal and binding yet the executive has chosen to disregard it and has acted in direct defiance of the court’s directions and violated the same,” said a statement issued by the members.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the PBC Pir Muhammad Masood Chistie clarified that the statement represented the views of those individual members and could not be treated as the collective position of the PBC.
“You obstructed his path. You created a security situation there,” the minister said, addressing PTI leadership.
He added that the medical report from Pims had stated that Imran was in good health, prompting the question: “Which illness are you doing politics on?”
Imran’s medical treatment had never been stopped or paused and would continue as needed, the information asserted, urging PTI leaders and Imran’s family not to politicise legal or health matters, adding that they had “been in contempt” by commenting on the issue.
Tarar issued the statement hours after Dr Uzma Khan, Imran’s sister, approached the SC seeking to initiate contempt proceedings against those responsible for violating its Aug 18 order to shift the incarcerated former premier to a private hospital in the federal capital.
On Tuesday, the SC had ordered the government to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital within two days for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.
The court had also ordered that Dr Uzma Khan and Dr Faisal Sultan — Imran’s personal physician — be present during the medical examination by the board. At the same time, Imran’s family members, PTI members and lawyers associated with him were barred from disclosing his health condition or medical reports to the media or the public until the next hearing.
The next day, the government had filed a review plea against the court’s order to shift Imran to the private hospital, arguing that the directive was discriminatory and issued in violation of prison rules and principles of natural justice.
However, the SC had returned the plea on Thursday with the objection that the contents of the affidavit and facts, along with the review petition filed under Article 188 of the Constitution, had not been properly drawn up and that one of the paper books of was not in order.
The same night, elaborate arrangements were put in place in and around Shifa International Hospital, and all signs pointed to the PTI founder being brought there, in compliance with SC order.
However, it became clear on Friday morning that Imran had been taken to Pims for a check-up and then subsequently transported back to prison.
