Govt does not want to politicise Imran’s health, says interior minister

LAHORE: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday said the government did not want to “politicise” the matter of PTI founder Imran Khan’s health, while blaming the opposition for doing the same.

Addressing the media in Lahore, Naqvi referred to the recent medical report prepared by a team of doctors who examined the jailed ex-premier on Sunday.

“The medical report also came forward yesterday and everything is clear as per it. Neither we nor the government want to politicise this,” he said, adding that there were certain “requests” which the authorities allowed but were not suitable to publicise at the moment.

“Putting up such a show is extremely inappropriate, especially misleading people,” the minister said.

“Still, we picked our best government and private doctors because it had been three days and the checkup had not taken place,” he insisted.

Naqvi said he then invited PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan to reach Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Sunday to witness Imran’s checkup but the former refused, citing party consultations.

Detailing the communication between the authorities and the opposition, Naqvi said Gohar was given the time of 2:30pm. “We kept on waiting for an hour but Gohar sahib replied in the negative, that he has consulted with his party and would not be able to come.”

“Our intention was that the checkup be performed in front of everyone,” he asserted, adding that the doctors were at the Adiala jail for about 1.25-1.5 hours for the examination.

Naqvi stated that Gohar, along with the Senate and National Assembly opposition leaders — Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai — and their preferred doctors, was then invited to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad.

There, the doctors who examined Imran briefed the opposition leaders as well as spoke on the phone to the “two doctors” named by the PTI, with each conversation lasting for about 45 minutes. “They asked each and everything,” Naqvi said about the PTI-recommended doctors.

“Excellent. This is the best treatment. Even if we had to provide treatment, we would have done the same,” he quoted the doctors as saying.

According to Naqvi, the opposition representatives also expressed satisfaction over the treatment and said they would inform their supporters about it.

Asked about former KP chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s claims that Naqvi made unmatched efforts for Imran’s release, the minister said, “One thing, which is not new, is that I have believed from the first day that dialogue is the solution to everything. “This is not my personal opinion; the prime minister has also said what I say, and we are following those instructions. […] If you ask about my personal view, I always say talks are the [answer],” he said.

Responding to another question, he said there were “sensible people” in every party and if they had been listened to, the “PTI would not have been in the current situation, nor would have done the May 9 things”.

On whether any action was being taken against the former Adiala jail superintendent whom the PTI holds responsible for aggravating Imran’s health issue, Naqvi stated: “We will check with the Punjab government what they are doing on it. But they are on it.” Staff Report