SC order on PTI founder's medical checkup fully implemented, says Info Minster Tarar 

Islamabad (Web Desk): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership and the sisters of its founder were committing contempt of court by turning his health and medical treatment into a political issue and creating obstacles to his healthcare.

Speaking to the media, Tarar rejected PTI allegations that the administration had failed to comply with the Supreme Court’s (SC) directives, saying the party itself was responsible for contempt.

He said the court had clearly instructed all sides to refrain from politicising the matter, yet PTI leaders continued to hold press conferences and issue political statements.

Tarar said PTI supporters had also gathered outside Shifa International Hospital, where they allegedly breached security barriers and recorded TikTok videos.

The minister added such activities created an environment that disrupted the process of transferring the prisoner to the hospital and interfered with his treatment.

He described the situation as unprecedented, saying it was the first time a prisoner was being taken to a hospital while people claiming loyalty to him were themselves causing difficulties in the process.

Tarar argued that if PTI leaders and supporters genuinely wanted their founder to receive medical treatment, they would not have created obstacles during his transfer.

He said the security concerns generated by the gathering and the resulting hurdles ultimately prompted the government to take the PTI founder to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) instead.

The information minister also questioned the PTI’s claim of seeking justice, saying the party had no justification for accusing the government of wrongdoing while simultaneously pursuing contempt proceedings. He argued that if the PTI leadership was genuinely concerned about justice, it would not have filed a contempt petition in the first place.

Recalling the PTI’s tenure in government, Tarar said its leaders and the then party chairman had regularly made mocking and derogatory remarks about Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders whenever they faced medical problems. He said the PML-N had repeatedly urged the PTI at the time not to politicise health-related matters, but the practice continued.

The minister maintained that the present government had adopted a different approach when the PTI founder himself faced health concerns.

He said government leaders had not responded in the same manner and had consistently maintained that an individual’s medical condition should not become a subject of political confrontation.

“When we were in the opposition, we had the same stance, and while in the government, we maintain the same stance that there should be no politics over someone’s health,” he said, adding that the government would continue to uphold this position in the future.

Speaking about the government’s legal position, Tarar said the law minister had already explained the administration’s stance to the public shortly after a review petition was filed. He said the matter would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.

The information minister said that the review petition also raised questions about ensuring equal treatment for prisoners and avoiding any perception that one inmate was receiving preferential facilities.

He questioned whether such a specially arranged medical facility could legally be made available to every prisoner and whether providing a customised arrangement in this case was permissible under the law.

The minister further said that determining where a prisoner should receive treatment and which doctors should attend to him could not properly be decided without recommendations from a medical board.

Despite these legal concerns, Tarar insisted that the administration had complied with every requirement contained in the court order and had done so transparently and in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

“Were the court orders implemented? The answer is yes. Did the check-up take place? Yes, it did. Did it happen in a transparent way? Yes, it did. Was his sister present there? Yes, she was. Were doctors from Shifa Hospital there? Yes, they were,” he said.

The information minister said that he had also shared two posts on social media a day earlier confirming that the medical examination had taken place in the presence of the prisoner’s sister and an ophthalmologist from Shifa Hospital.

He also referred to statements issued by the legal fraternity, saying both the Pakistan Bar Council and the Punjab Bar Council had called for bar-related matters to remain separate from mainstream political activity.

The minister said that elected representatives of the legal bodies had made it clear that PTI should not use the bar platforms to advance its political interests.

Tarar criticised some lawyers for what he described as an attempt to “pollute bar politics” by issuing an unauthorised statement in their personal capacities while presenting it as an official position.

“The lawyers say there should be no politics over the issue, and we say the same. You created hurdles, and now you are playing politics over this issue,” he said.

Referring to medical reports from PIMS, Tarar said the PTI founder was in good health and questioned what medical condition the party intended to turn into a political controversy.

The information minister reiterated that the government had never prevented the PTI founder from receiving medical treatment and said all necessary healthcare arrangements had been made in accordance with legal and medical requirements.