AG objects plea for PTI founder’s shifting to private hospital

By Wasim Kambo

ISLAMABAD, Mar 10 (APP):The Advocate General on Tuesday raised objections before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against maintainability of the petition seeking transfer of PTI founder to a private Hospital for treatment.

The IHC, during hearing, ordered the Advocate General Islamabad to get Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan’s power of attorney signed by the founder PT through the Superintendent Adiala Jail.

The court also instructed PTI founder’s lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa to come up on next hearing with case preparation regarding jail rules.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, heard the plea seeking shifting of PTI founder to a private hospital for medical treatment in appeal of Toshakhana criminal case.

At the outset of the hearing, the Advocate General said that in the wake of the decision of the Supreme Court, a medical board consisting of expert doctors PIMS Dr. Arif and Dr. Nadeem Qureshi was formed for treatment of the eye of PTI founder.

He told the IHC bench that the Supreme Court had not given any instructions on the friend of the court’s proposals.
He read out the top court’s order before the bench and said that this court couldn’t issue directives in the petition.

He said that the PTI founder’s sentence in this case had already been suspended and he was granted bail.

Justice Soomro remarked that a judgment was also passed after that decision to which the advocate general is referring.

The AG said that the Jail Superintendent’s report has arrived. Sardar Latif Khosa read out the report of Adiala Jail. It said that the founder of PTI is undergoing regular check-ups through the medical board. The report said that the founder of PTI was also treated for his eye by PIMS doctors and he was brought to PIMS hospital twice.

Adiala Jail report said that in this case, the founder’s sentence was three years, of which 26 days have been served, he still has two years and 11 months to serve.

Sardar Latif Khosa, earlier said that Barrister Salman Safdar had submitted a report to the Supreme Court as a friend of court. “I have attached this report with my application, I would like to read it,” he said.

He said that the friend of the court suggested the treatment of the founder’s eye. The friend of the court also wrote that if the treatment is delayed, it will have serious consequences.

Meanwhile, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan, on the occasion, said that he is the lawyer of the PTI founder and his power of attorney needed to be signed from him in jail. The court issued directives in this regard.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)’s lawyer also prayed the court to grant time to hire a new lawyer in this case, which was approved. The further hearing of the case was adjourned till March 12.