JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman welcomes court’s order but says decision had come too late
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah. SCREENGRAB
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday described the Supreme Court’s decision to transfer Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital as a “merit-based ruling”, saying it would be implemented in letter and spirit.
Earlier, the Supreme Court ordered Khan’s transfer to the private hospital for treatment following a hearing on a medical board report and a report submitted by the Adiala Jail superintendent on Monday. The reports recommended more frequent meetings between Khan and his immediate family and wife to help manage his blood pressure and anxiety, while also highlighting concerns about his health.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, PML-N leader and Special Adviser to Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah said the ruling had been made independently by the court and on the merits of the case. “PTI pursued its case before the right forum, so the Supreme Court has given its decision according to the merits of the case. We also respect the Supreme Court’s decision,” he said.
He said the PTI had taken too long to approach the courts, arguing that pursuing legal remedies would have been a more appropriate course of action from the outset.
“Instead of resorting to agitation from the outset and laying siege to jails through unlawful means, if they had pursued the matter through the courts in accordance with the law, they could have received this relief earlier as well,” he said.
Read: SC orders Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital for treatment
He added that PTI was pleased with the ruling and was praising the courts, but argued that the party should similarly respect judicial decisions when they did not go in its favour.
Asked about negotiations with the PTI, Sanaullah said the prime minister had been offering talks for a long time, but the opposition had yet to give a positive response.
On the debate over the creation of new provinces, he said the PML-N had so far neither held a meeting nor formed a position on the matter. “Personally, I believe this is a debate in the media merely for the sake of debate. The proper forums for this matter are the provincial assemblies and Parliament,” he said.
Sanaullah added that whenever a member or political party raised the issue in an assembly, the government would present its position accordingly.
Tariq Fazal vows to implement SC order on Imran Khan
Meanwhile, PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Khan’s treatment would be implemented in letter and spirit.
Speaking in the Senate, he said the Supreme Court’s decision was in line with the government’s position, which it had repeatedly conveyed to the PTI — that the only way forward on Khan’s release and other legal matters was through the courts.
“The decision announced by the Supreme Court today regarding Imran Khan’s health fully supports the government’s position. First of all, I would like to make it clear that the decision will be implemented in letter and spirit,” he said.
Chaudhry said the prime minister had no executive authority to release a prisoner who had been sentenced by the courts, while referring to cases in which PML-N leaders had also been released through court orders.
He urged the PTI to recognise that the courts were the only forum through which a way forward could be found.
The PML-N leader also condemned what he described as the PTI’s insulting remarks against the judiciary, saying such language should not be used.
“If the judiciary gives a decision in your favour, you praise it, but if it gives a decision against you, you use such language against the judges that perhaps cannot even be repeated in Parliament or the media,” he said.
Fazl says Imran Khan’s transfer decision came late
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, saying it should have been taken much earlier.
“I think they have delayed it for too long. This should have happened much earlier. Whenever a patient develops any health-related complaint, immediate action should be taken,” he told reporters.
Rehman criticised the delay, saying that keeping the matter pending for such a long period had unnecessarily turned it into a national issue and caused unrest and distress among PTI workers. “So, this decision should have come much earlier,” he said.
Also Read: Imran’s sister Noreen allowed to proceed to Adiala jail after SC meeting order
Asked about the creation of new provinces, Rehman described it as an issue that could be examined from different perspectives.
“Principally, we are not against the creation of new administrative units. We have previously supported the creation of a Bahawalpur province, we have also spoken about a Seraiki province, and we have supported the creation of a Hazara province. We ourselves had demanded that FATA be made a province,” he said.
However, he said Sindh was different because its people were not ready for the province to be divided.
Rehman said that when the creation of new provinces was previously debated, even the establishment had opposed the formation of new provinces or administrative units. “So, those who were calling for new provinces were discouraged, and they could not make it into the government or assemblies. They were forced to abandon the issue,” he said.
“Simply raising an issue and then leaving people to keep debating it, in my view, is a way of diverting attention from the country’s real problems,” he said, adding that there was neither seriousness nor a feasible environment or preparation for such an initiative.
