ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said the government had fully complied with the Supreme Court’s directions regarding the medical examination of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, urging the party not to politicise the matter.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Tarar said health-related matters were primarily medical and legal issues and should not be turned into political controversies.
He said the government had consistently maintained this position, including during the period when the current ruling parties were in opposition.
The minister was speaking a day after Imran Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for a medical examination before being shifted back to Adiala Jail.
The Supreme Court had directed authorities in its August 18 order to transfer the former prime minister to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination. According to Tarar, Imran was taken to Pims, where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present.
Tarar said the administration had implemented the court’s directions within the framework of the Constitution and law and had fulfilled all requirements mentioned in the order.
He added that Imran’s medical examination was conducted in the presence of his sister and his doctors. Referring to what he described as an initial medical report, the minister said Imran was found to be in good health.
Tarar maintained that the government had not interrupted Imran’s medical treatment and had kept the public informed about developments throughout the process.
Responding to the contempt petition filed by PTI in the Supreme Court, the minister described the plea as baseless. He said the government had also raised questions in its review petition regarding whether similar medical facilities were available to other prisoners.
Earlier, PTI had approached the Supreme Court seeking contempt proceedings over what it described as a violation of the court’s order concerning Imran’s transfer to hospital.
Tarar also criticised the gathering of PTI supporters outside Shifa International Hospital, questioning who had organised the crowd. He claimed the gathering created a security risk and argued that political activity should not have been linked to the former prime minister’s medical treatment.
The minister further said that the government had not adopted a disrespectful attitude towards anyone’s health and reiterated that medical matters should remain separate from political disputes.
