“PTI founder will be treated abroad if necessary,” says Tariq Fazal Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has assured that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, will be allowed to receive medical treatment abroad if necessary, ARY News reported.

Chaudhry said, “If the PTI founder agrees to be treated at Al-Shifa Hospital, we have no objection.” He emphasized that the health of Imran Khan is the government’s priority.

The minister clarified, “We have no personal enmity with the PTI founder.” He added that Imran Khan undergoes daily medical check-ups to monitor his condition.

Salman Safdar’s Report On Imran Khan

Earlier, a report submitted by Barrister Salman Safdar to the court was made public after he visited Adiala jail for a meeting with the Imran Khan. Safdar recommended an immediate examination of the eyes of the party’s founder.

“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has demanded examination of his eyes by Dr. Faisal Sultan and Asim Yousuf,” a detailed report of seven pages submitted by Salman Safdar to the court read.

It has been recommended in the report that the PTI founder’s eyes could also been examined by an expert ophthalmologist.

The lawyer also recommended providing books to the party’s founder due to his solitary confinement and lack of access to television set.

“His treatment was started after sudden and complete end of his sight of the right eye,” according to the report. “PTI founder has said that he could only see 10 to 15 percent”.

“The jail officials didn’t take it serious when the eyesight issue of the PTI leader was started during last three months”, report read. “They didn’t try to address the health condition”, Barrister Salman Safdar said in his report to the court.

“His eyesight of both eyes was normal, three to four months ago,” PTI leader told the visiting lawyer. “He felt blurredness of eyes later and he repeatedly complained to the Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum,” according to the report.

“The jail officials didn’t take any step to address the complaint, the right eyesight went off completely,” report read.

“Later the PIMS ophthalmologist Dr Muhammad Arif, examined his eyes. The eyesight of his right eye remained only up to 15 percent,” Salman Safdar said in his report.

It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had ordered arrangements for Salman Safdar to meet the PTI founder in jail. The court granted Barrister Salman Safdar permission to meet him and appointed him ‘a friend of the court’.

The court directed Barrister Safdar to visit Adiala Jail in his capacity as a judicial representative and commissioner. He was instructed to submit a detailed written report regarding Imran Khan’s current condition in custody, the facilities available to him, and his living conditions inside the prison.

The Chief Justice issued clear instructions that Safdar should not be made to wait outside the jail and that no obstacles should be placed in the way of the meeting. In case of any difficulty, he was directed to immediately contact to the Chief Justice’s personal staff officer.