• Trio visited party vice chairman in hospital to seek his support for ‘release Imran’ campaign
• Fawad says leading efforts to pave way for dialogue, get PTI chief released from jail

LAHORE: After PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi was hospitalised in the provincial capital, three former PTI leaders arrived in his hospital room, ostensibly to convince the incarcerated party vice chairman to join their ‘release Imran Khan campaign’ — a move rebuffed by Mr Qureshi.

According to his lawyer Rana Mudassar Umer, former leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Maulvi Mahmood managed to gain access to Mr Qureshi on Thursday when he was alone in his room.

“Shah Mahmood Qureshi was surprised to see them and immediately asked the police on duty to call his lawyer, who had left just a minute ago, and tell him some ‘guests’ had arrived,” Rana Mudassar said, adding by the time he got back, the ex-PTI leaders had already gone. He said the visitors stayed only a little over 10 minutes and left without any political discussion with Mr Qureshi.

The unannounced visit came after one of the three leaders was reportedly denied permission to meet Mr Qureshi.

Sources said the former PTI leaders have also attempted to give the impression that another PTI leader, Asad Umar, was also on board with their decision to launch an outreach campaign for Mr Khan’s release. Mr Umar, however, said he was not part of this group. He said he advised the trio against the hospital visit, as it would create friction in the party, while Mr Qureshi’s family would also be disturbed.

“I am not part of this campaign…a group of politicians is trying to highlight,” he told Dawn. The former PTI leader also clarified his stance in a tweet.

“Though any effort for the release of Imran Khan and other jailed leaders is good, but I am not part of the newly launched ‘Release Imran Khan’ campaign,” he said, adding that he learned from newspapers that he was a part of this campaign led by some former party leaders.

Paving way for dialogue

On the other hand, ex-PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, in a video message, said they were trying to bring the political temperature down in the country and make the release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi possible, besides getting the right of bail for political prisoners acknowledged in the country.

He said they were trying to create an environment in which a dialogue could take place. “The political temperature can come down in the country only if the PTI takes one step back and the government takes a step forward.”

He claimed that he had also met Ejaz Chaudhry and other leaders and was happy that they too agreed that the political temperature should come down in the country. He said his group members would meet PML-N senior ministers as well as Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Mr Qureshi’s lawyer, however, termed the remarks by Fawad Chaudhry “deception” and said the former PTI leader did not even visit the incarcerated PTI leadership in the Kot Lakhpat jail, either on Thursday or Friday. The jail trial continued from 10:30am to 4:30pm, he said, questioning the motive behind the hospital trip.

He said PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Omer Sarfraz Cheema were united and standing by Imran Khan, who had repeatedly announced that he would not make any deals with the establishment or the government and would fight his cases on legal grounds.

Besides Mr Qureshi, who is expected to undergo a surgical procedure for gallbladder stones next week, Omer Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed were also hospitalised. According to sources, the home department and jail administration were not offering proper medical services to the incarcerated leaders in Kot Lakhpat jail.

The lawyer said the courts had been ordering the shifting of Qureshi to the hospital for the past six weeks, but the administration was not complying with the directives. Eventually, he said, Mr Qureshi underwent two check-ups and was advised to be admitted to the hospital.

“Qureshi is undergoing different lab tests and is expected to be operated upon during the next week,” the lawyer stated.

He also claimed that Dr Yasmin Rashid was also denied regular physiotherapy sessions despite her medical condition.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2025