Imran Khan shifted to Pims on his own request for eye procedure, Senate told

• Eye procedure could have been done at jail hospital: Tarar.
• Says Imran Khan requested transfer to Pims for treatment.
• Adds PTI founder's health is stable with no complications.
  

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan was shifted from Adiala jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) for an eye procedure on his own request, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told the Senate on Tuesday.

Speaking on the floor of the upper house of parliament, Tarar said the eye procedure could have been carried out at the Adiala jail hospital, but the former prime minister himself asked to be taken to Pims for the medical treatment.

The law minister said Imran had also told authorities that moving him during the day could create a law and order issue and suggested he be shifted in the evening instead.

His remarks came amid controversy over the PTI founder's eye procedure at Pims, with the former ruling party saying neither his family nor party leadership was informed of the treatment.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi questioned the quality of treatment given to Imran Khan at Pims, claiming that the hospital does not have a retina specialist.

Imran's health, Tarar told the Senate, was stable and the medical procedure had been completed successfully. He also clarified that the treatment involved an injection and not a surgical operation, and that there were no further medical complications.

The federal minister further said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had not issued any directive to deny Imran access to doctors or medical treatment, stressing that the premier upholds respect for human rights.

Referring to a past case, the law minister told the upper house that when Rana Sanaullah was arrested, he was on his way to a hospital in Lahore, but was remanded to judicial custody by a magistrate.

He said that, at that time, on the instructions of the then prime minister, Sanaullah was not allowed access to a jail doctor.