ISLAMABAD: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi told a press conference outside the Supreme Court that state institutions had demonstrated grave negligence and termed “medical terrorism” in the matter of PTI founder Imran Khan’s health.
The chief minister said that they remained outside Adiala Jail until 3am and had been present outside the Supreme Court since 10am today. He said that previously, when meetings were restricted, it was claimed that only political meetings had been suspended, but what has happened to their leader Imran Khan over the past two days is not merely a political issue, but a serious humanitarian and medical matter.
He said that Imran Khan is the lifetime chairman of the country’s largest political party, a former prime minister, and the most popular political leader in Pakistan, yet he was forcibly shifted to a hospital without his consent, without the consent of his family, and without the consent of his personal physicians, and that too to a hospital where no specialist for his condition was available. He termed this an act of medical terrorism.
The chief minister said that the incident was concealed for five days from the nation, his family, his personal doctors, and his lawyers. When questions were raised, federal ministers openly lied and claimed that nothing had happened, but later the government’s own minister confirmed that a surgery had been performed. Despite this, the chain of lies continued.
He said that this government has completely lost its moral and political credibility; neither the public trusts them nor do we. He said that the entire nation is deeply concerned about Imran Khan’s health. The public wants to know what his condition was when he was taken to jail, what happened to him, why surgery was required, and what his current health status is. That is why they repeatedly demanded that his personal doctors be allowed to meet him and inform the nation of the facts, but this insensitive system has refused to grant such permission, which is a blatant violation of the Constitution and the law.
The chief minister said that this system has become completely paralyzed and insensitive. There is no respect for human life, democratic forces, or democratic traditions. He said that a provincial Chief Minister is made to sit on the roads for two nights, moved from one place to another, while on the other hand, another Chief Minister is provided a Pakistan Air Force aircraft and sent on world tours. He said that this discriminatory treatment is an injustice not only to a province but also to the federation and the people of Pakistan.
He warned that such actions are fueling hatred and deliberately pushing the situation in a direction from which there may be no return. When people are forced to take decisions into their own hands, everyone will suffer, and those responsible will be these very people. The Chief Minister said that they believe in struggle, dialogue, and political action within the constitutional and legal framework, but if all avenues are closed and they are pushed against the wall, the Constitution and law grant them the full right to protest, and they will preserve and, God willing, exercise that right. He said that they had demanded a clear yes or no regarding doctors’ access, and the answer is clearly no. Imran Khan is not being allowed to meet his personal doctors.
Therefore, a meeting of the political committee is being convened, in which Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and members of the National Assembly will participate to decide the future course of action. The Chief Minister clarified that the protest scheduled for 8 February remains intact and preparations are underway across Pakistan. The decisions of the political committee will be presented before the nation. He strongly condemned the events of the past two days and expressed intense anger, stating that it is still time to come to senses and manage the situation in accordance with the Constitution and the law.
