ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Interior Attaullah Tarar on Thursday said a medical board should be formed to examine PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who was constantly skipping appearances in different court cases on the pretext of bad health.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Tarar said the Supreme Court and Lahore High Court should take notice of Mr Khan’s delaying tactics to not appear before courts and constitute a medical board comprising best doctors from public and private hospitals to determine the health of the PTI chairman.

He said the board should determine whe­th­er Mr Khan’s health allowed him to appear before the courts in pending cases or not. A factual report based on facts should be presented in the court about the PTI chairman’s health.

The SAPM said there were reports that Mr Khan was managing fake medical reports to present in courts, adding that Mr Khan was fit for all other activities except appearing before courts.

Says PTI chief is fit for other activities but not court appearances

The SAPM demanded holding case hearings against the PTI chairman on a day-to-day basis besides broadcasting live proceedings of the cases so that the nation could know the real face of Mr Khan.

He said the hearing of a case against Mr Khan had been delayed six times, while this facility was not available to other people.

He said Mr Khan was in the habit of taking relief by sitting at home, and now the PTI chairman had started begging courts not to summon him.

He recalled that the PTI leader used to make a joke about PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif who was suffering from severe pain in his back, but now Mr Khan was affraid to appear before courts and making lame excuses to skip proceedings in cases against him.

He said Mr Khan managed to delay his foreign funding case before the Election Commission of Pakistan for six years and the same tactics were being used in the Toshakhana and Tyrian White cases.

He said on the one hand Mr Khan had announced the Jail Bharo Threek, while on other he was approaching courts for protective bail.

The SAPM said the PTI leadership considered itself ‘untouchable’ but it would have to face accountability for all its wrongdoings.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2023