Imran Khan Has High Blood Pressure, Anxiety; Doctors Recommend Family Meetings: Report
- Shahzeb Khanzada cited Imran Khan’s medical report during an interview with Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday.
- The host said the report mentioned high blood pressure, anxiety, palpitations and heaviness in the head.
- Doctors have recommended family meetings and access to books, magazines and newspapers to help Imran Khan relax, according to the report discussed in the interview.
- Tariq Fazal Chaudhry assured that there would be no compromise on Imran Khan’s medical treatment and said more frequent meetings with his wife could be facilitated.
Federal Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday assured that there would be no compromise on former prime minister Imran Khan’s medical care after host Shahzeb Khanzada cited a medical report mentioning high blood pressure, anxiety, palpitations and heaviness in the head.
During the interview, Khanzada said the report had been submitted to the court by the Adiala Jail superintendent and contained doctors’ recommendations regarding Imran Khan’s health and well-being.
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According to the report as cited by Khanzada, doctors recommended that Imran Khan be allowed to meet his family and be provided with books, magazines and newspapers to help him relax.
Khanzada questioned the government over the implementation of these recommendations, saying Imran Khan had not been allowed to meet family members from outside the prison for around eight months.
Responding to the questions, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said Imran Khan’s medical treatment and political meetings were two separate matters. He maintained that the government would take full responsibility for ensuring that there was no negligence concerning the PTI founder’s health.
Chaudhry said there had been no compromise on Imran Khan’s treatment previously and there would be none in the future. He added that authorities would not wait for PTI leaders to submit an appeal or write to the government before providing medical treatment whenever it was required.
He said Imran Khan would continue to receive the “best of the best” medical facilities whenever necessary.
Khanzada pressed the minister on the doctors’ recommendation concerning family interaction, arguing that the issue went beyond medical treatment alone. He noted that Imran Khan is 73 and questioned the impact of keeping a person with such an extensive public life disconnected from family members for a prolonged period.
Chaudhry responded that Imran Khan regularly meets his wife, Bushra Bibi. When Khanzada pointed out that Bushra Bibi herself is imprisoned and raised the issue of other relatives being denied access, Chaudhry clarified that his reference to regular family meetings was specifically about Imran Khan’s wife.
Khanzada also mentioned Aleema Khan, saying she had made repeated attempts to meet her brother but had not been allowed to do so.
Chaudhry said that if Imran Khan wanted meetings with his wife to be held more frequently, the government would have no objection. However, he maintained a distinction between family interaction, medical access and meetings of a political nature.
The discussion came as the government and opposition showed signs of possible engagement ahead of PTI’s planned September 27 protest.
Chaudhry said he and Rana Sanaullah had met the opposition leadership on Tuesday and held detailed discussions on several issues. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer of negotiations remained valid and that grievances should be addressed through direct talks between the government and opposition.
According to Chaudhry, the opposition leadership had written to the prime minister regarding a constitutional consultative meeting. He said the prime minister was expected to respond to the letter within the next two days.
He added that further talks could then take place at a mutually acceptable location. The opposition, he said, had proposed Constitution Room No. 5 at the National Assembly as a venue for discussions.
Asked by Khanzada whether Tuesday’s meeting could eventually result in greater access to Imran Khan, help resolve the political dispute and prevent the September 27 protest, Chaudhry expressed optimism but stopped short of making a firm commitment.
He said he believed the latest engagement would “break the ice” and allow the process to move forward. If a meeting with the prime minister takes place, he added, the opposition could raise its complaints and discuss what kind of facilitation it wants regarding Imran Khan’s meetings.
Chaudhry also rejected the suggestion that restrictions on Imran Khan were the result of personal hostility. He said the government had political differences with the former prime minister but no personal enmity with him.
He claimed the government had previously facilitated meetings between Imran Khan and PTI representatives, including his legal team. According to Chaudhry, restrictions were subsequently introduced after attempts were made to use the jail as a PTI “headquarters” and statements that the government considered unacceptable began emerging following the meetings.
He maintained that Imran Khan’s lawyers and doctors continued to have access to him despite those restrictions.
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