Salman Akram Raja calls government’s refusal to allow meetings a ‘barbaric act’
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja addresses a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, flanked by Vice Chairman Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar. SCREEN GRAB
The leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday expressed grave concern over reports that party founder Imran Khan was taken to a hospital last week without informing his party or his family, calling it “abuse” and demanding immediate access to him.
Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in Adiala prison in a £190m corruption case. In addition, he faces pending legal proceedings under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) related to the protests on 9 May 2023. The party had a day ago expressed concern over Imran’s health, claiming that the jail authorities and the government were preventing treatment for a “severe eye disorder” and demanded immediate medical attention.
Concerns about Imran’s health were raised at a press conference addressed by Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas along with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
Abbas said the management was alarmed by news circulating about Imran’s health. Commenting on the matter, he said reports indicated that Imran was taken to a hospital without the knowledge of either his family or his party.
“This is an abuse. They think this will hurt his family and the people; this is their mistake. People hate them (the state) day by day,” he said.
Raja also expressed serious concern over the reports and demanded an immediate meeting with Imran and Bushra Bibi.
“A person who is sick, about whom there are reports that there are serious concerns regarding his health – why was he taken to a hospital and why are we not informed of this?” Raja said, citing a local media report which said that sometime between Saturday and Sunday evening, Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.
He said the reports had amplified the party’s concerns many times over, adding that it demanded immediate permission to meet Imran. Raja further said that he fully supported the same demand regarding Bushra Bibi and stressed that “the solitary confinement in which she has been placed must be ended immediately.”
Read: PTI expresses concern over Imran’s eye condition, demands immediate treatment
He further said that Imran’s personal doctors, who had no political affiliation, had repeatedly requested the courts to allow doctors from Shaukat Khanum Hospital, as well as dentists and eye specialists, to examine and meet him, but this facility had not yet been made available.
“We are deeply concerned by the reports emerging about Imran Khan’s health. On this basis, a demand was made that his personal doctors be allowed to meet him immediately and conduct a comprehensive medical examination, but we have been told that this request too was not deemed acceptable,” Raja said.
Calling the government’s refusal to allow meetings a “barbaric act”, Raja said the party had approached the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court and requested him to use the administrative and legislative authority he had. “We asked him to direct the attorney general to have this meeting happen as soon as possible and that doctors and daughters should be allowed to meet them immediately,” he said.
Raja said that the solitary confinement of Imran and Bushra, their placement in punishment cells and restrictions on meetings were unacceptable under any circumstances. “We have been informed that Bushra Bibi’s last meeting with her daughters – who are completely apolitical – took place on November 4. This situation is extremely worrying,” he added.
Referring to protests planned for February 8, Raja said the call for a day of mourning announced by the opposition coalition Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayin Pakistan was a duty for the entire nation.
“This is not a matter of any personality or party. It is an insult to the voice of the nation. God willing, this day of mourning will one day be a day of democracy. We must all play our part in this struggle,” he said.
Abbas also announced that a ‘black day’ would be observed on February 8.
“Anyone who is patriotic, loves Pakistan and believes that the path the country is being set on is wrong and leading to destruction will register their protest on that day,” he said.
He added that a full-scale public outreach campaign would be launched until February 8. “We will go to the people, talk to our neighbours, talk to the shopkeepers in the streets, inform the residents and citizens. We will contact transport associations, rickshaw unions and trade organisations,” he said.
“Our students and youth will talk to their colleagues, women will contact women. The aim is to tell the public that the whole country is suffering from the consequences of the atrocities that took place today,” Abbas added.
He said a shutdown strike would be observed on February 8 through organizational contacts, followed by separate plans for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab.
“In the evening, torchlight processions will be taken out wherever possible – in our neighbourhoods, in our cities and in all places where our voices can be raised peacefully,” he said, adding that all activities would remain peaceful.
“No one will be abused, no one will be tortured, no one will be insulted and no arson will be allowed. We are civilized people and will not harm anyone’s personal or government property,” he added.
