Islamabad: A former senior member of Pakistan’s military establishment during the PTI government has rejected claims that the establishment had warned then prime minister Imran Khan over alleged use of prohibited drugs or advised him to stay away from narcotics.
The clarification comes as an old video clip from a television talk show circulates on social media, in which a former member of Imran Khan’s cabinet can be heard alleging that the military establishment at the time was aware of his alleged drug use and had advised him to stop.
When contacted over the claim, the former senior establishment official said no such warning had been given to Imran Khan during the PTI government’s tenure.
The official further said the establishment neither possessed evidence nor had any report confirming that Imran Khan was using prohibited drugs.
According to the official, the matter largely remained a subject of speculation in political and media circles, while the establishment had no verified information supporting the allegation.
The controversy had also surfaced in 2023 when former federal health minister Abdul Qadir Patel claimed that a medical examination conducted following Imran Khan’s arrest had detected traces of alcohol and cocaine.
However, information concerning medical reports available with the National Accountability Bureau did not support those allegations.
A well informed NAB source was reported as saying in June 2023 that blood and urine reports available with the bureau contained no indication of alcohol or cocaine use by Imran Khan.
According to the source, the reports instead showed routine health indicators and did not substantiate the allegations made by the former health minister.
Abdul Qadir Patel had claimed at a press conference on May 26, 2023, that Imran Khan’s medical examination while in custody had revealed the presence of alleged toxic chemicals, including alcohol and cocaine.
Patel had also questioned Imran Khan’s mental health and stability. Those allegations were subsequently challenged by medical experts.
According to reports at the time, doctors who reviewed the available medical material said it did not substantiate allegations concerning drug use or mental instability.
Imran Khan later served Abdul Qadir Patel with a defamation notice, accusing him of spreading false, misleading, malicious and defamatory information about his medical condition.
