Imran’s physician says no indication of slow-poisoning

Dr Sultan claims PTI chief's diet, health both satisfactory after physical examination

RAWALPINDI:

Former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s personal physician Dr Faisal Sultan has confirmed that there is no apparent indication that his patient is being subjected to 'slow poison' in prison.

Dr Sultan was speaking to the media on Thursday after meeting with the ousted premier at Adiala Jail, where Imran is being held in connection with the cipher case.

Imran’s physician told journalists that the PTI chairman’s health and diet were both satisfactory and that he voiced no complaints in this regard. Perhaps, he had expressed some concerns regarding his health earlier and those were now being misquoted, Sultan said, clarifying that no such symptoms were detected in the current physical examination.

Meanwhile, Imran's lawyer Hamid Khan told the media that the party and its supporters were all concerned about Imran's health given the attacks on his life earlier.

He expressed regret that convicted leaders of other political parties were enjoying state protocol while the PTI chairman was being subjected to distress and judicial harassment.

The PTI was not being allowed a level-playing field in the upcoming polls, he said, adding that dialogue between political parties was always possible.

"Who else can dialogue be held with," he said, adding that this would come to light soon too.

Earlier, the Rawalpindi police recorded Imran's statement in connection with the May 9 cases in the presence of his senior lawyer Hamid.

Sultan was allowed to meet with the ousted premier inside the prison premises after the statement was recorded and conduct a physical examination.

The doctor's comments came a day after Imran's lawyer Shiraz Ahmad Ranjha rebutted speculation that he was being slowly poisoned in prison.

Ranjha categorically refuted all such claims, terming them baseless.

There were allegations of Imran being poisoned while incarcerated, but his lawyer released a video statement and vehemently dismissed the rumours circulating on social media.

Ranjha clarified that there was no truth to the assertions that the PTI chairman was being poisoned or was under any threat of poisoning.

The lawyer addressed an incident from the previous day, stating that there was a misunderstanding. He explained that due to two previous assassination attempts on the PTI chairman, there existed a heightened concern for his safety, specifically in terms of potential exposure to slow-acting poison.

Imran is currently detained at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail. He was previously incarcerated at Attock jail after his conviction in the gifts repository case on Aug 5.

On May 9, the former prime minister was arrested from inside the high court in Islamabad by the paramilitary Rangers in a National Accountability corruption case regarding the Al-Qadir Trust.

Since then, he had been incarcerated at Attock District Jail and recently shifted to Adiala Jail. Imran claimed that he had been jailed in forged cases, vowing to come clean in all of them.