Faisal Chaudhry, the lawyer of jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, has lambasted former National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri over a misleading post regarding the former premier’s health condition, saying that his “tweets make things more difficult for people sitting here [Pakistan].”
“Any PTI leader — be it Qasim Suri — must consult with the party’s top leadership before issuing a statement regarding the jailed party founder,” he said while speaking on the Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanazada Kay Sath’.
The former NA deputy speaker, in a post on his official X handle, claimed: “Imran Khan has been given something that threatens to disrupt his mental balance, locked in a small room and sprayed with a poisonous substance whose smell is affecting his mind. Imran Khan’s health is bad and there are serious threats to his life.”
Reacting to the statement, the former ruling party issued a statement and said Suri shared alarming reports about Imran from his sources. “We urgently demand a transparent update on Imran’s condition, followed by a thorough medical examination led by Dr Aasim Yousif.”
The party further claimed that Imran Khan was currently cut off from his family, deprived of essential medical care, denied basic facilities, and with no reliable evidence of his well-being. “His isolation raises serious human rights concerns and questions the intentions behind such treatment, as this is equivalent to putting his life at risk,” it added.
However, PTI leaders including chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rebutted the claims that Khan’s health deteriorated in the prison, stating he is in good health.
Earlier today, Aleema Khan — Imran’s sister — also refuted such claims after meeting with the former prime minister in Adiala Jail.
Speaking to journalists, she dismissed rumours about the PTI founder’s deteriorating health conditions, saying that Imran is “totally fine”.
Furthermore, Chaudhry — in today’s show — said that rumours spread rapidly when no one is allowed to meet the incarcerated PTI founder.
Suri’s statement also drew sharp criticism from Senator Faisal Vawda, who said that the statement about Imran losing his mental balance “is the beginning of creating a narrative to declare him insane”.
The former prime minister has been in jail since August last year, facing more than 100 charges that he alleges are trumped up by his political opponents.
PTI leadership adding to Imran’s hardships: Yousafzai
Last week, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai blasted the party leadership over mismanagement of the Islamabad march, saying that due to the party leadership’s blunders, hardships of Khan were mounting.
“All the responsibility (for this) lied on the central leadership,” the PTI leader said in a statement.
Yousafzai said that God gave them a great opportunity which they wasted. If they had proceeded with consultation among themselves, the results would have been different today, he added.
To a query, he replied that Bushra Bibi was right to take to the streets in a bid to get her husband released from jail. “The question arises, what did the rest of the leadership do? Where was the central leadership?” he asked.
It should be noted that earlier Yousafzai had questioned the leadership of Barrister Gohar Khan and Salman Akram Raja as well. He also asked where Sher Afzal Marwat and leadership of Punjab were during the protest.
