RAWALPINDI: There is no apparent indication that former premier Imran Khan is being subjected to ‘slow poison’ in prison, confirmed his personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan on Thursday.
Dr Sultan was speaking to the media after meeting with the ousted premier and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief in Adiala Jail, where Imran is being held in connection with the cypher case.
He told journalists that Imran’s health and diet were both satisfactory and the ousted premier voiced no complaints in this regard. Perhaps he had expressed some concerns regarding his health earlier and those are now being misquoted, said Dr Sultan, clarifying that no such symptoms were detected in the physical examination now.
Meanwhile, Imran’s lawyer Hamid Khan told the media that the party and its supporters were all concerned about Imran’s health given the attacks on his life earlier.
He expressed regret that convicted leaders of other political parties were enjoying state protocol while the PTI chairperson was being subjected to distress and judicial harassment. The PTI is not being allowed a level playing field in the upcoming polls, he said, while adding that dialogue between political parties is always possible.
“Who else can dialogue be held with,” he said, adding that this would come to light soon too.
Earlier, Rawalpindi Police recorded Imran’s statement in connection with the May 9 cases in the presence of his senior lawyer Khan. Dr Sultan was allowed to meet with the ousted premier inside the prison premises after the statement was recorded and conduct a physical examination.
The doctor’s comments come a day after Imran’s lawyer Shiraz Ahmad Ranjha rebutted speculation that he was being slowly poisoned in prison.
Ranjha categorically refuted all such claims, terming them baseless.
According to Express News, there were allegations of Imran being poisoned while incarcerated, but his lawyer released a video statement and vehemently dismissed the rumours circulating on social media.
Ranjha clarified that there is no truth to the assertions that the PTI chairman was poisoned or is under any threat of poisoning.
The lawyer further addressed an incident from the previous day, stating that there was a misunderstanding. He explained that due to two previous assassination attempts on the PTI chairman, there exists a heightened concern for his safety, specifically in terms of potential exposure to slow-acting poison.
Imran is currently detained at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. He was previously incarcerated at Attock Jail after his conviction in the gifts repository case on Aug 5.
On May 9, the former prime minister was arrested from inside the high court in Islamabad by the National Accountability Bureau on charges of corruption in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust, which he owns.
Since then, he has been incarcerated at Attock District Jail and recently shifted to Adiala Jail. Imran claims that he has been jailed in forged cases, vowing to come clean in all of them.