Sher Afzal Speaks at National Assembly on Imran Khan’s Health, Urges Govt to End Hostility

• Sher Afzal raises concerns over Imran Khan’s health, treatment and restrictions on meetings.
• Questions the handling of the Supreme Court order and its implications for judicial authority.
• Urges Khawaja Asif to move away from political hostility and show restraint.

Sher Afzal has raised concerns over former prime minister Imran Khan’s health and restrictions on his meetings, urging the government to avoid turning the issue into a political confrontation and calling for renewed dialogue between the government and opposition.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Sher Afzal said the matter should not be viewed merely as an issue concerning an order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He argued that Parliament must consider what position it takes when orders issued by courts or other institutions are not implemented.

He said that if Parliament appeared to endorse the way the Supreme Court order had been handled, it could create a precedent for how state institutions respond to judicial orders in the future.

Sher Afzal also linked the development to recent efforts to restart political dialogue. He said the prime minister had invited PTI for negotiations and Barrister Gohar had welcomed the offer, but the incident concerning Imran Khan occurred on the same night.

Describing himself as a student of law, Sher Afzal said he had read the Supreme Court order and questioned why Imran Khan could not be allowed to meet his family members and senior party leaders after reportedly being unable to meet them for around eight months.

He also raised concerns over reports about Imran Khan’s health, referring to complaints regarding his eyesight and blood pressure. He questioned why appropriate medical treatment could not be arranged, including treatment at his own expense where legally permitted, and said there had been precedents involving prisoners receiving medical treatment in the past.

Sher Afzal said Pakistan had already experienced years of political tension and questioned how long the cycle of confrontation would continue. He said people did not want further hostility, political point-scoring and accusations between rival sides inside and outside Parliament.

Addressing Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Sher Afzal said his speeches in the House were often fiery. While acknowledging that Khawaja Asif had himself faced difficult circumstances in the past, he urged him to show restraint and forgiveness.

He referred to teachings from the Holy Quran about controlling anger, forgiveness and reconciliation, arguing that political leaders should demonstrate those principles through their conduct.

“Your hardships lasted around six months. Imran Khan’s hardships have continued for more than two or three years. Now it should be brought to an end,” Sher Afzal said.

He urged the government to demonstrate that it had the capacity to show generosity even towards its strongest political opponent rather than allowing every dispute to become an issue of ego.

Sher Afzal welcomed the prime minister’s offer of negotiations with PTI and also appreciated Barrister Gohar for responding positively to the proposal despite facing criticism and trolling.

He appealed to the National Assembly speaker to make another attempt to bring the two sides together, saying representatives of the government and opposition could be invited to the speaker’s chamber for discussions.

Sher Afzal also asked the speaker to contact the prime minister and determine whether the government was serious about moving ahead with its offer of negotiations.

Referring again to Imran Khan’s medical treatment, he questioned what harm would have been caused if the former prime minister had been taken to hospital, remained admitted for a day if necessary and then returned.

“If he had been allowed to receive treatment, even if he had remained admitted for one day and then returned, what was the problem?” he questioned, urging the government not to make the issue a matter of ego.