Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi held an important meeting with sisters of PTI founder Imran Khan ahead of the hearing at the Supreme Court PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court of Pakistan will hear three cases related to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan at 11:30 am on Wednesday (today).
A three-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Khan Kakar will conduct the proceedings. The court will deal with encryption, Toshakhana and defamation cases. The court will also hear Punjab’s appeal against the bail granted to Bushra Bibi.
Sources say a request will be made to gain access to the PTI founder’s personal doctors.
“The courtroom has limited space,” said Judge Hashim Khan Kakar. “I can feel a lack of oxygen in this room,” he said. “We will hear your cases in court number 2,” he told Khan’s lawyer, advocate Salman Safdar.
Several political leaders and lawyers arrived at the court ahead of the hearing, including Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and lawyer Ali Zafar were also present.
Sohail Afridi held an important meeting with Imran Khan’s sisters ahead of the Supreme Court hearing. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held on Khan’s health, judicial matters, other related issues and the challenges he faces in this regard.
Senior advocates Latif Khosa and Salman Akram Raja also reached the Supreme Court. Also, PTI leaders including Ali Muhammad Khan reached the court.
Khan’s sisters, her party and the opposition coalition Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) rejected the government’s blaming them for allegedly obstructing her treatment as their sit-in continued, with protests continuing at two locations within the federal capital’s Red Zone.
Aleema Khan said on Tuesday that Bushra Bibi’s daughter and sister-in-law met her today and conveyed a message from Khan. Quoting him, she said: “He said his eye is not working properly and asked my sister to raise her voice for him and make sure my treatment is possible.”
Read: PTI and TTAP reject government’s blame for Imran’s treatment and continue sit-in for fifth day
Aleema added that Khan had demanded that his personal doctors be allowed to meet him. He also requested that his blood reports be sent to both doctors for review.
Aleema called the government’s actions “criminal and not mere negligence,” saying they were deliberate and reiterated her call for Khan to be treated at Shifa International Hospital.
PTI rejects medical report
The federally constituted medical board reported improvement in vision in Khan’s right eye. The board, comprising two senior ophthalmologists, Dr Nadeem Qureshi and Dr Arif, examined him at Adiala Jail on Sunday.
According to the two-page report, unaided vision in Khan’s right eye was recorded at 6/24 (partial), while that in his left eye measured 6/9. With glasses, vision improved to 6/9 (partial) in the right eye and 6/6 in the left. The report indicated that the anterior segment of both eyes was normal and the cornea was clear, although he noted mild vitreous hemorrhage at the edge of the right eye and moderate retinal hemorrhage in all four quadrants.
The report added that the swelling in the macula of the right eye was decreasing and the macular thickness was reduced from 550 to 350 microns.
Read more: PTI restarts protest at KP House after reviewing Imran’s health report
The board described ongoing medication and treatment and recommended OCT angiography and fundus fluorescein angiography after completion of anti-VEGF therapy. However, he did not make any recommendation for Imran’s transfer to a hospital.
Family and PTI leaders denied meeting Imran
The designated time for a meeting with Imran Khan on Tuesday passed without any access being granted. Neither his family nor any party leaders were allowed to meet him.
Barrister Gohar and Raja departed Marble Factory Naka after being rejected, while Aleema and her sisters were unable to continue beyond the Chakri exchange. Police also executed arrest warrants for Aleema at Chakri Interchange, which she accepted.
