‘A Ray of Light’: PTI Secretary General Welcomes SC Order to Shift Imran Khan to Shifa Int’l Hospital

CM KP Afridi Endorses Raja’s Assurance, Urges Workers to Exercise Restraint

Junaid Akbar Urges Government to Ensure Swift Implementation

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s (SC) order directing the transfer of PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within two days, describing the verdict as a “ray of light” and assuring the court and the party’s millions of supporters that PTI would comply with all directives in letter and spirit.

Talking to media outside the apex court, Raja said the court had ordered that no gatherings or political activity should take place outside Shifa International Hospital during Imran Khan’s treatment.

“We have promised the court that, as a party, we will comply with this order,” he assured, appealing to the millions of Imran Khan’s supporters to respect and implement the SC’s directives.

PTI Secretary General said: “I told the court that our politics is politics of principle; we are fighting for the Constitution and the law, as our struggle is for the greater objectives, which is why Imran Khan is in jail.”

He categorically assured the court that no crowd would gather outside Shifa International Hospital. Raja said the SC’s decision had raised a new hope regarding Imran Khan’s health and treatment. “Today, a ray of light has emerged from the top court; the court has ordered all state institutions that Imran Khan’s health takes precedence,” he said.

He said the apex court had ordered that Imran Khan be shifted from Adiala Jail to Shifa International Hospital within two days, adding that the party had been demanding his transfer to the hospital for the past year.

“At the same time, we thank Allah Almighty for this order, which we have been demanding for a year,” Raja maintained. He said the SC had also ordered the formation of a board of expert doctors at Shifa International Hospital, comprising specialists from different fields, to determine the causes of Imran Khan’s reported health problems and recommend appropriate treatment.

Raja said the medical board would examine the reasons behind Imran Khan’s blood pressure problems, the clot that had developed in his eye and other health-related concerns, while also assessing the treatment being provided to him in jail.

He said the top court had directed that Imran Khan’s sister, Dr Uzma Khan and Dr Faisal Sultan, Chief Executive of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Imran Khan’s personal physician, be associated with the process.

Raja said Imran Khan’s health was not satisfactory and expressed hope that the SC’s ruling would pave the way for proper medical treatment.

He emphasized that PTI did not want Imran Khan’s health to become a victim of politics and that his treatment and well-being should be dealt with purely on humanitarian and medical grounds.

“We do not want the health of the founder of PTI to be sacrificed at the altar of politics,” Raja said.

CM KP Afridi Endorses Raja’s Assurance, Urges Workers to Exercise Restraint

On the occasion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi endorsed the assurance given by Salman Akram Raja before the SC and urged PTI workers and supporters not to take any step that could amount to a violation of the apex court’s judgment.

“We are grateful to Allah Almighty for the decision that came today,” Afridi said, adding that 250 million Pakistanis looked towards the courts with hope for justice and that the apex court’s decision had ignited a new ray of hope. “We hope that this decision will be implemented swiftly,” he added.

Referring to Salman Akram Raja’s assurance before the top court, Afridi said the party fully owned and acknowledged the commitment that PTI workers would not gather outside Shifa International Hospital.

“Pakistanis, the health and life of our leader are precious to all of us. Imran Khan is the hope of millions of Pakistanis; we must not let this hope shatter,” the CM said. He warned that any misguided action that could endanger Imran Khan’s health would have consequences far beyond the PTI founder himself.

“If Imran Khan is harmed by any misguided step, it will not be a loss for Imran Khan alone but for the entire nation,” Afridi said. He reiterated that Salman Akram Raja, in his capacity as PTI secretary general, had made the commitment before the court and that the party fully acknowledged it. “We must demonstrate patience and restraint, and avoid any step that disrespects this decision,” Afridi said.

CM KP also warned against attempts by elements outside the party to create disorder following the court’s decision. “Some disruptive elements who are not affiliated with PTI will want to spread chaos, to extinguish that ray of hope that has appeared,” he said.

Afridi urged party workers and supporters to identify and distance themselves from anyone attempting to create chaos in the name of PTI.

“We must identify these elements; they will have no connection to PTI, nor will they be Imran Khan’s workers, and nor will we own them,” he said.

He called upon supporters to allow Imran Khan to receive medical treatment peacefully and expressed hope that the court’s decision would be implemented without delay.

PTI KP President Welcomes SC Decision, Calls for Peaceful Conduct

Separately, PTI MNA Junaid Akbar welcomed the SC’s decision and expressed hope that the government and relevant state institutions would not create any hindrance in its implementation.

“We welcome the top court’s decision and hope that the government and relevant institutions will not create any hindrance in the implementation of this decision,” Junaid Akbar said. He said PTI would ensure that the law-and-order situation remained peaceful outside Shifa International Hospital.

“PTI will ensure that the law and order situation does not deteriorate in front of Al-Shifa Hospital,” he said. Junaid Akbar also appealed to PTI workers and supporters to demonstrate responsibility, discipline and restraint and refrain from any action that could provide the government or relevant institutions with grounds for further action.

“An appeal is also made to the workers to exercise responsibility, discipline, and peaceful conduct, and to refrain from any action that might provide the government or relevant institutions with any justification for the future,” he said.