CM Afridi calls off sit-in near Adiala jail, heads back to KP
Pakistan
KP CM Afridi ended his sit-in at Adiala Jail after being denied a meeting with jailed PTI chief Imran Khan, amid concerns over his health and medical assessments at PIMS.
RAWALPINDI (Dunya News) - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has called off his sit-in near Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail after protesting for hours when he was once again denied permission to meet incarcerated Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Concerned over the reports regarding the PTI founder's health, Afridi arrived in Rawalpindi to meet him at Adiala jail yesterday. However, he was denied a chance to meet the PTI's supremo. On this, he decided to stage a sit-in near the jail.
“We will stage a sit-in tonight. MNAs and MPAs of our party are arriving,” the chief minister said while speaking to the media in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
“This is our leader's matter, we will not let it go like this,” the CM said, adding that attempts are being made to deliberately worsen the situation.
KP CM Afridi demanded that the family members and personal physician of the PTI founder be allowed to meet him at Adiala Jail, as the former ruling party has raised concerns about the health of the jailed former premier.
The development came hours after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that the PTI founder was briefly taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) amid concerns raised by his party.
Tarar said eye specialists had examined the PTI founder at Adiala Jail and advised that he be shifted to Pims for further assessment and treatment.
Acting on the doctors’ recommendations, the minister said, the former premier was taken to the hospital on Saturday night.
Following the procedure, the minister said, he was shifted back to Adiala Jail with the necessary medical instructions.
The information minister stressed that Imran's vital signs remained stable throughout the procedure and that his overall health was satisfactory.
“He is absolutely healthy,” Tarar said, adding that access to medical facilities and specialist care is provided to all prisoners whenever required, strictly in accordance with jail rules.
His statement comes a day after local media reported that Imran was admitted to the Pims on last Saturday under tight security for a medical procedure.
Citing a hospital doctor, the report stated the former prime minister underwent a procedure for an eye ailment, and was returned to Adiala jail the next day.
Separately, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said a petition has been filed in the trial court seeking permission to meet the party founder in jail.
Terming the reports regarding PTI founder’s health concerning, Raja said Dr Asim inspected Imran in jail a year ago, and back then, he had no eye-related issue.
“A whole year has passed, no one knows what happened in the meantime,” he added.
Raja said he will go to the Supreme Court at 10 am today (Friday) to submit the memorandum.
