Law minister says govt will file review

ISLAMABAD:

Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar said on Tuesday that the government would seek a review of the Supreme Court’s order concerning former prime minister Imran Khan’s transfer to a hospital. He claimed that the order went “beyond the legal parameters”.

In a video statement, Tarar said consultations were held on certain aspects of the order concerning jail authorities and the Islamabad administration, particularly the direction for Imran to undergo a medical examination at Shifa International Hospital.

“After reviewing the law, the authorities are of the view that this order does not fall within the legal parameters governing the facilities that can be provided to a convicted person in jail,” he said.

Tarar said the government would seek an appropriate modification in the order so that Imran could be examined at a tertiary-care government hospital.

He added that medical experts or specialists from other major institutions could be included in the medical board in accordance with the court’s directions or as the court deemed appropriate.

The minister also raised concerns over the wider implications of transferring a prisoner to a private hospital for medical check-ups, saying thousands of prisoners across the country faced various complications and illnesses.

“If prisoners are taken to private hospitals for such medical check-ups, there are thousands of prisoners across Pakistan facing various complications and illnesses,” he said.

Tarar said the law provided for the constitution of a medical board to determine whether a prisoner’s treatment should be conducted inside or outside jail.

“The law provides that a board will first be constituted, and the board will determine whether the treatment should be provided inside the jail or outside it. If a prisoner has to be taken outside the jail, such facilities are available at government hospitals in every case,” he said.

He maintained that until evidence or material showed that government hospitals were incapable of providing the required treatment, such an arrangement could not be made.

Tarar also said the government wanted clarity on whether the Supreme Court’s order would apply specifically to Imran’s case or could have implications for the entire prison population.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also criticised the PTI and its founder over the Supreme Court order, accusing the party of seeking an NRO—secret deal—for its leader. In a message posted on X, Asif said the PTI’s “desire” to secure an NRO for its leader had reached new heights.

“Today, one of PTI’s countless ‘founders’ received extraordinary relief from the esteemed judiciary, and the way the entire party celebrated this decision reflects its intense yearning to somehow get their disqualified leader out of jail by any means,” he said.

Referring to Imran’s earlier statements, Asif said the same person had previously demanded that other politicians be imprisoned and their conditions in jail made harsher. He described the PTI’s reaction to the latest order as an “ironic U-turn”.

“Perhaps no greater U-turn of irony is possible than this: the very person who was once portrayed as an invincible, self-made ‘Iron Man’ now has his entire party desperately pleading to have him transferred from jail to a hospital,” he said.

The defence minister said medical treatment in hospitals had always been available and that he had no objection to Imran being provided immediate, effective and complete medical facilities.

“However, before celebrating judicial decisions, PTI must certainly address the clear contradictions in its own narrative,” he said.

In contrast, some other senior PML-N leaders described the Supreme Court’s decision as merit-based.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, speaking in the Senate, said the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Imran’s treatment was in line with the government’s position that legal matters concerning the former premier could only be resolved through the courts.

“The decision announced by the Supreme Court today regarding Imran’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 sentenced by the courts, adding that PML-N leaders had also secured release through judicial orders in the past.

He urged the PTI to recognise the courts as the only forum for resolving the former premier’s legal issues and condemned what he described as insulting remarks against the judiciary.

PML-N leader and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah also termed the order merit-based, saying the PTI had rightly approached the “right forum”.

Speaking outside Parliament, Sanaullah said the Supreme Court had independently decided the matter on its merits and that the government respected the ruling.

“The 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 legal remedies should have been pursued from the outset instead of resorting to agitation.

Minister of State for Religious Harmony Kheal Das Kohistani also said the government respected the verdict and would implement it in its true letter and spirit. “These are decisions of the courts, and we respect them,” he said, stressing that judicial decisions should not be politicised.