TIMES REPORT
PESHAWAR: The Provincial Minister for Information and Public Relations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shafi Jan, said that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi are being kept away from medical treatment in violation of international laws, causing their health to deteriorate. He further alleged that they are being prevented from meeting their family members, sisters, and party leaders, which he described as a complete violation of human rights.
He made these remarks during a press conference organized by the Insaf Doctors Forum at the Peshawar Press Club on Friday.
Shafi Jan stated that Imran Khan, a popular national leader and the founder of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, along with his wife, is being punished for standing up for the people. According to him, they are being denied proper healthcare facilities. He claimed that Imran Khan developed an eye problem four months ago and that the vision in one of his eyes has still not fully recovered.
He further alleged that Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were taken to a hospital late at night in violation of jail rules and legal procedures. The party was informed that they received treatment for three hours. However, he claimed that mistreatment is being carried out under the guise of medical care, that they are not being allowed access to their personal physicians, and that the public is not being provided with verified information about their health.
He demanded that the government transfer Imran Khan and his ailing wife, Bushra Bibi, to Shifa International Hospital for comprehensive medical treatment.
The provincial information minister also criticized the government, saying that while the United States and Israel attack Iran, Pakistan’s rulers take advantage of the situation by increasing fuel prices overnight and placing additional financial burdens on the public, allegedly benefiting a select few.
He said that when Nawaz Sharif was imprisoned during the PTI government, he was provided with all facilities. According to Shafi Jan, around 150 people met Nawaz Sharif daily, and Maryam Nawaz was also allowed daily meetings with him, with her prison accommodation located close to his.
He further alleged that whenever the Pakistan Muslim League (N) comes to power at the federal level, supplies of flour, electricity, and gas to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are restricted. He also claimed that whenever they raise their voice in protest, Section 144 is imposed at those locations.
Shafi Jan stated that inflation currently stands at 50 percent and that unemployment has reached its highest level in 41 years. He said the country is moving toward decline while the rulers remain unconcerned.
He announced that, following the Insaf Doctors Forum, all wings of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would formally raise their voices for the release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi and for their access to medical treatment. He added that Imran Khan has authorized Mahmood Khan Achakzai to guide protest activities, and that the party would follow whatever instructions he gives, even if it involves blocking highways or facing baton charges by authorities.
He said they would not hesitate to approach any forum for Imran Khan’s release and would implement Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s directives whenever they are issued.
At the conclusion of the press conference, he claimed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to face unfair treatment. He alleged that when military operations are launched, responsibility is shifted onto the provincial government, while funds for internally displaced persons (IDPs) are not provided. He further claimed that the federal government still owes approximately 4.8 billion rupees to the province but has remained silent on the matter.
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