- NDC demands Imran’s meeting with his personal physician.
- NDC strongly condemns govt’s attitude towards jailed leader.
- Ex-PTI leaders call Achakzai government’s “B-team”.
The National Dialogue Committee (NDC) has expressed serious concern over the risks to the health of former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan, as well as the government’s admission regarding his eye operation.
The statement was issued on Saturday following a meeting of the NDC — set up by former PTI leaders — held in Islamabad. Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, Mahmood Maulvi, Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, former minister Mohammad Ali Durrani, former Karachi mayor Waseem Akhter, and veteran politician Munir Ahmad Khan attended the huddle.
NDC has demanded the immediate formation of an independent medical board and that a meeting be arranged between Imran Khan and his personal physician, Dr Faisal Sultan. Meetings should also be facilitated with his family members and sons so that the family and the public can be relieved of mental anguish, and the ongoing international defamation of Pakistan regarding fundamental human, legal, and democratic rights can be halted, it said.
In a joint statement, the NDC leaders strongly condemned the government’s attitude, stating that the federal and Punjab governments’ approach toward the jailed PTI founder’s treatment is regrettable, undemocratic, and contrary to their political claims.
The ruling coalition of PML-N and PPP has always preached against politicising health issues, yet their actions against Imran Khan, Bushra Bibi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, and other political prisoners — based on political opposition — are in clear violation of their own past statements, claims, and advice, the statement added.
The NDC leaders demanded that, just as an independent medical board was formed for former premier Nawaz Sharif and his personal physician was allowed meetings, exactly the same should be done for the PTI founder
“God forbid, if any harm comes to the PTI founder’s health, the entire leadership of the ruling coalition will be responsible, and the right to take legal action against them is reserved. The right to health for any prisoner is an inalienable right under the law.”
It further said that depriving any prisoner of their legitimate legal right to treatment, deliberately endangering their health, is equivalent to taking their life and constitutes a criminal act. The ruling coalition should stop politicising the health of political opponents.
The NDC leaders also expressed regret that the government engaged in criminal concealment of facts regarding the serious issue of declining eyesight in the PTI founder’s eyes. “Despite several days passing, lies continued to be told about the matter, which indicates that the federal and Punjab governments are deliberately attempting to defame state institutions. This appears to be a well-thought-out conspiracy to provoke the majority of Pakistan’s population that supports PTI against state institutions, which is against national interest,” the NDC said in the statement.
The NDC leaders also strongly condemned and expressed disappointment over opposition leader Mahmood Achakzai’s statement that “the founder’s health is not as bad as the propaganda suggests,” deeming it clear proof that Mahmood Achakzai is the government’s “B-team”.
His continuous “silence” after becoming the opposition leader is evidence that he is part of the government team, not the opposition, the NDC leaders said, adding that the opposition leader’s role on the PTI founder’s health is the same as that of the government and its ministers.
The NDC will continue to expose these attitudes of both the government and the opposition, read the statement.
The NDC leaders urged the PTI and opposition leadership to jointly stage a sit-in at the Prime Minister’s House gate.
