Rana Sanaullah is suing for criminal negligence if Imran’s medical treatment was deliberately withheld
The Senate witnessed uproar on Friday after the government blocked a resolution seeking discussion on the health of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, prompting opposition lawmakers to protest and accuse authorities of negligence.
PTI’s counsel, Advocate Salman Safdar, submitted a Supreme Court-mandated report on Thursday after meeting the former prime minister in Adiala jail earlier this week. Imran informed Safdar that his right eye was now functioning at only 15% capacity after undergoing a medical procedure at the Paklistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) last month.
As a result, the two-man bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan ordered that Imran be allowed access to his personal doctors in Adiala jail and allowed telephone contact with his sons. The revelations about Imran’s eye provoked outrage from the ranks of the opposition and other politicians.
The issue of Imran’s eye health and eyesight was also discussed in today’s Senate meeting with the Prime Minister’s Political Affairs Adviser Rana Sanaullah saying that any deliberate denial of medical care to Imran would amount to criminal negligence and would be indefensible.
“If someone failed to provide treatment, such behavior would be unacceptable,” he said, adding that it would also be wrong to project the issue for political purposes if the facts suggested otherwise.
He said the opposition was trying to highlight Imran’s health concerns but claimed the matter had already been cleared before the Supreme Court.
The negotiations began in the absence of the chairman, deputy chairman and members of the chairman’s panel. The House approved a motion to appoint Senator Shahadat Awan as Speaker, which then commenced the session.
Read: Imran health row sparks PTI government showdown in Senate
Controversy erupted when PTI Senator Aon Abbas Buppi moved a resolution calling for debate on Imran’s health. The government opposed the proposal and Sanaullah questioned the need for a formal resolution if discussion was already allowed.
The resolution was rejected by a majority vote, triggering protests by PTI senators who gathered in front of the speaker’s podium and shouted slogans.
Lawmakers from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) maintained there was no objection to medical treatment for any prisoner, and Senator Sherry Rehman said access to health care should not be politicized.
Giving a timeline of medical treatment, Sanaullah said Imran first complained of eye pain in the first week of January. “After the complaint, the jail doctor gave eye drops which he used for three to four days,” he said.
He added that Imran was examined on January 16, while a medical board reviewed his condition and conducted tests on January 19. “An injection was given on January 24,” he said, noting that those details were part of official medical records.
Sanaullah denied claims that Imran had been suffering from the problem for months and stated that the PTI founder was being investigated regularly. He said Imran had been examined by prison doctors every other day and by external doctors on 25 occasions. According to him, Imran did not raise any complaint regarding his eye during previous examinations, including a medical examination in December.
“These details are available in official documents,” Sanaullah said, adding that he was ready to share the medical record with the opposition if required.
He further said that no petition had been filed in the Supreme Court regarding PTI founder’s admission in a private hospital, but assured that the government would comply with all directives issued by the apex court and facilitate the investigation of doctors of Imran’s choice.
However, opposition lawmakers rejected the government’s explanation, alleging negligence and demanding transparency regarding the former prime minister’s treatment.
Opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas rejected the government’s account, saying that the sighting did not suddenly deteriorate and alleged that he was negligent in handling the matter.
He questioned why Imran’s family and legal team were not informed and suggested a joint visit by government and opposition members to assess the situation.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl Senator Kamran Murtaza called on the government to adopt a humanitarian approach, noting that the potential permanent loss of sight could constitute a legal basis for bail.
He suggested that one member each from the government and the opposition should visit Imran to report back to the house. Referring to the late Kulsoom Nawaz, he said past political rivalries should not dictate present behaviour.
Murtaza also noted that legal options such as parole, bail or house arrest were available.
