Govt to implement SC direction on PTI founder’s medical order: Senate told

ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (APP):Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Senator Rana Sanaullah Khan on Tuesday told the Senate that the Supreme Court would decide on September 16 whether, and to what extent, its August 18 order concerning the PTI founder’s medical examination had been complied with, assuring that the government would implement any further direction issued by the apex court.
Responding to points raised by Senator Ali Zafar and the Leader of the Opposition, Rana Sanaullah said neither the government nor the opposition should assume the role of a court and pronounce its own verdict on compliance with the judicial order.
He said the government, state institutions and courts were all bound by the Constitution and law, which also provided mechanisms for review and legal remedies where implementation of a judicial order was disputed.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s August 18 order, Rana Sanaullah said the government had made a sincere effort to implement it. The purpose of taking the PTI founder to a hospital, he said, was to have him medically examined.
He said the original plan was changed because the administration had security concerns over the situation that could develop at the intended facility. The PTI founder was instead taken to a government health facility where, according to him, he underwent a complete examination by qualified and professional doctors.
“On September 16, the court will decide where the order was complied with, to what extent it was complied with and whether there was any deficiency,” he said.
Rana Sanaullah assured the House that if the Supreme Court found any shortcoming and directed the government to take further measures, its orders would be implemented.
He reiterated that the government had no intention of compromising the PTI founder’s health, saying no negligence had been committed in the past and none would be allowed in future.
Rana Sanaullah also referred to political statements following meetings with the PTI founder, saying messages emerging from such meetings were subsequently repeated at press conferences and amplified through social media, including from abroad.
Meanwhile, Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal rejected the assertion that CT scan facilities were unavailable at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
He said that two CT scan machines were in working condition at PIMS, saying he wanted to place the factual position on record with evidence.
Kamal acknowledged that conditions at public hospitals were not ideal, noting that PIMS was established in 1985 to cater to a population of around 400,000, while Islamabad’s population had since grown to around five million.
Moreover, he said, patients also travelled to the federal capital for treatment from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Rawalpindi, placing enormous pressure on the hospital and sometimes causing delays.
He said medical investigations had to be determined by doctors on the basis of a patient’s clinical condition and vital signs, warning that unnecessary procedures could themselves create medical problems.
Kamal said a medical panel was available and if doctors determined that a CT scan was required, the facility could be provided.
He reiterated that both CT scan machines at PIMS were functional, rejecting claims to the contrary as incorrect.