KP CM demands treatment of IK in Shifa International under family supervision
DLP Report
ISLAMABAD
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi on Friday called for the immediate transfer of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment under the supervision of his personal physicians and in the presence of his family members.
Addressing a press conference at Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, the chief minister said the purpose of the briefing was to highlight concerns regarding Mr Khan’s health and to reiterate the demand that he be provided appropriate medical care in accordance with constitutional and legal provisions.
Mr Afridi said several constitutional, legal, democratic and political avenues had already been pursued to facilitate medical treatment for the former prime minister under the supervision of his personal doctors and with the presence of his family members. However, he added, the request had yet to be accommodated.
He said Mr Khan was not an ordinary individual but a former prime minister and the lifetime chairman of the country’s largest political party. According to the chief minister, the PTI leader enjoys the trust and support of millions of Pakistanis and is widely regarded as an influential political figure not only within the country but also across the Muslim world.
Criticising the federal government, the chief minister said the ruling group lacked a coherent foreign policy and an effective domestic policy framework. Instead of addressing Pakistan’s economic and governance challenges, he alleged, the government’s focus appeared to be on restricting Mr Khan’s access to his family and denying him proper medical care.
Mr Afridi said Pakistan urgently required economic revival, agricultural growth, industrial expansion and employment opportunities for the youth, who constitute nearly 60 per cent of the country’s population. However, he maintained that the government’s priorities appeared misaligned with these pressing national needs.
He further alleged that PTI leadership and elected representatives were facing political pressure and restrictions. While the government in KP had been formed through a clear public mandate, he claimed, attempts were being made to disqualify its leadership through various means.
Mr Khan should be transferred to Shifa International Hospital and provided immediate medical care under the supervision of his personal physicians and in the presence of family members, he said and cautioned that if any harm came to the former premier due to denial of adequate medical treatment, responsibility would lie with the present government and its “handlers”.
Mr Afridi said the nation was looking towards the judiciary and expressed hope that the courts would recognise the sensitivity of the matter. He said PTI’s demands were legitimate and aimed solely at ensuring that Mr Khan received proper medical treatment.
He also alleged that the public mandate had been undermined through fabricated cases and that attempts were being made to politically marginalised PTI. However, he said the party’s supporters across the country would continue to play their role for Mr Khan’s release.
The chief minister said the party’s struggle would continue until the achievement of what he described as “real freedom”, adding that preparations were under way to resume political mobilisation from where the previous street movement had halted. He said a meeting regarding the “Imran Khan Release Force” had also been held recently and that the party would move forward with a structured plan.
The chief minister also condemned a recent terrorist attack on police personnel in Lakki Marwat, expressing prayers for the elevation of the martyrs’ ranks and the speedy recovery of the injured. He also expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.
