Govt fulfilled SC directives on Imran's treatment, family committed contempt: Tarar

• Health matters should not be politicised: Tarar.
• Says Imran Khan's treatment was "never stopped".
• Adds govt "fully complied" with court order.
  

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said that the government had fully complied with the court's directives regarding jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s medical examination, urging the party to refrain from “politiciding” the issue. 

Addressing a presser in Islamabad on Saturday, Tarar said health was a medical and legal issue that should not be turned into a political controversy. 

He said the government's position had consistently been that politics should not be brought into health-related matters, including when his party was in opposition.

The information minister’s remarks came a day after Imran, who was shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), was taken back to Adiala jail after medical examination. The Supreme Court, in its August 18 order, had directed the authorities to transfer the former prime minister to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination.

Imran was instead taken to Pims, where doctors from Shifa International Hospital were also present, according to the information minister.

Tarar said the administration had ensured implementation of the court's order in accordance with the Constitution and law, adding that all requirements stipulated by the court had been fulfilled.

He said Imran's medical examination was conducted in the presence of his sister and his doctors. Quoting what he called an initial medical report, Tarar said the PTI founder was found in good health.

The minister maintained that the government had not stopped Imran's treatment for even a single day and that the authorities had kept the nation informed of all developments at every stage.

Speaking on a contempt of court plea filed by the PTI, Tarar said that the party had filed a “baseless” petition over the matter, while the government had raised questions in its review petition about whether the same medical facilities were available to every prisoner.

Earlier in the day, the PTI filed a contempt petition in Supreme Court over the alleged violation of its order concerning the party founder's hospital transfer.

"We respectfully asked in the review whether this facility is available to every prisoner," he said.

The information minister said it was the PTI and Imran's family that “committed contempt of court”, citing the gathering of groups of people outside Shifa Hospital and questioned who had brought them there.

Tarar said that the court had directed that political statements would not be made in connection with the matter. He said PTI workers gathered outside the hospital had created a “security risk”.

The minister said the government had never adopted a derogatory attitude towards anyone's health. He recalled that when the government was in opposition, it had maintained the same position that health matters should not be politicised.

Tarar added that the administration had followed the court's orders in full and in accordance with the law, saying the facts had been communicated to the public throughout the process.

'Legal move'

Speaking on Geo News programme 'Naya Pakistan', Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja said that his party had taken a legal, rather than political, decision over the issue concerning Imran's hospital transfer, alleging that the Supreme Court’s order had been violated.

Raja said there had been no security issue and clarified that the contempt petition was not a party matter but had been filed by Imran Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry said the PTI founder was in good health and was doing well. He added that if Imran Khan’s sister wanted an NRO on the pretext of the issue, that was her own wish.

He said those who had gathered outside the hospital had committed contempt of court.

Chaudhry said Imran was examined three times a day while in jail, adding that if there was a need to take him to hospital, authorities could do so without any court order.

He claimed that the PTI was trying to play the “sympathy card”, saying the courts had changed and that the country now had a new judiciary that was not there to provide a “judicial NRO”.

“These people can continue expressing their wishes; it makes no difference to us,” Chaudhry said.

He added that only PTI leaders could explain why the name of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had not been included in the contempt petition.