Interior minister to answer Imran contempt case, says Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said the interior minister will respond to the contempt of court proceedings before the Supreme Court.

Sanaullah said neither the information minister nor the law minister would respond to the case. He explained that the matter relates to the decision to take Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) instead of Shifa International Hospital for his medical examination.

He said the change of hospital was made because of security and law-and-order concerns. According to Sanaullah, maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the Interior Ministry. He said the interior minister would therefore appear before the Supreme Court and present evidence explaining the circumstances behind the decision.

The government has maintained that both Imran Khan’s medical requirements and security were considered before arranging his examination. Sanaullah said the relevant authorities would provide the court with the necessary facts and explain why Pims was selected for the examination.

The controversy began after the Supreme Court directed authorities to take Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital for a medical examination. Instead, he was taken to Pims. The decision subsequently led to the filing of a contempt petition before the apex court.

Sanaullah also criticised the PTI’s political approach. He claimed that negotiations and cooperation with other political parties were not part of the party’s political strategy. He said the PTI remained centred around its founder and alleged that other opposition parties were willing to engage with the government.

The adviser also criticised Jamaat-e-Islami’s protest against petroleum prices. He claimed that the demonstration had failed to attract significant public participation. Sanaullah advised the party to reconsider continuing the protest, saying a demonstration could not be described as a public movement if people were not participating in it.

He said the government was aware of the difficulties faced by citizens. He added that successful diplomatic efforts could help reduce economic pressure, including inflation and other challenges.

Earlier, speaking to journalists at Parliament House, Sanaullah said there would be no major difficulty in forming a government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said elections for reserved seats had been completed and six candidates from his side had been elected. He added that the strength of their members in the AJK Legislative Assembly had reached 32.

Sanaullah said the AJK Assembly was free to decide how to deal with matters concerning protesters. He expressed hope that the concerned sides would resolve their differences through dialogue. He also said that an alliance involving the PTI was unlikely because, in his view, the party was unwilling to cooperate with other political groups.

Meanwhile, PTI leader and lawyer Salman Akram Raja rejected the government’s position on the contempt proceedings. He said the petition had not been filed by the PTI but by Dr Uzma Khan, Imran Khan’s sister.

Raja said Dr Uzma’s lawyer, Uzair Bhandari, had clarified that the petitioner had the right to decide whom to name as a respondent in the case. He said evidence against Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was not available, which was why he had not been named in the petition.

Raja also defended Dr Faisal Sultan, saying the doctor had not made any statement contrary to the Supreme Court’s directions. He argued that prisoners facing circumstances similar to Imran Khan should also have the right to receive treatment at a private hospital when medically required.

The PTI lawyer further raised concerns over Imran Khan’s alleged lack of contact with his family since December 2. He questioned whether any other prisoner had been denied family meetings for such a prolonged period.