Islamabad: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has opposed the decision to transfer PTI founder Imran Khan to a private hospital for medical treatment, arguing that it could lead other prisoners to demand similar treatment at private healthcare facilities.
Speaking to Geo News, Khawaja Asif said that if Imran Khan is allowed to receive treatment at a private hospital, other prisoners could also demand that they be treated at private hospitals.
The defence minister referred to his own experience and that of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, saying they had been sent to government hospitals for medical treatment.
Khawaja Asif also claimed that during one of Nawaz Sharif’s medical procedures, doctors had caught a PTI supporting doctor recording a video on a mobile phone.
He said that if there was any room under the Supreme Court’s decision for the government to formally place its position on record, it would do so.
The defence minister also criticised PTI’s conduct during its time in government, questioning the treatment meted out to political opponents and the language used against them.
Khawaja Asif’s remarks come after the Supreme Court ordered that Imran Khan be transferred to Shifa Hospital until the next hearing, with a medical board to be constituted and strict security arrangements provided during his treatment.
