Judge orders Bushra’s endoscopy at private hospital

Accountability court judge orders removal of wooden barriers from the courtroom

RAWALPINDI:

Accountability Court Judge Nasir Javed Rana on Friday ordered for the medical examination of Bushra Bibi, wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, at a private hospital.

The court accepted the request from the couple and allowed her endoscopy within two days under the supervision of Dr Asim Yunus and a government doctor.

During hearing of £190 million Al-Qadir University land scandal case inside the Adiala Central Jail, the judge spoke with the PTI founder. He asked whether the medical examination of Bibi was conducted. Imran replied that Dr Asim Younis had suggested the test to be done at Shifa International.

However, he added, the jail administration was adamant on conducting the test at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Hospital because they said that the jail manual allowed the tests only at government hospital.

Read: NAB submits asset details in in £190 million case

Imran claimed that Bibi had been given toilet cleaner in her food, adding that her condition was getting worse, with burning stomach. On that the court said order for Bibi’s tests at a private hospital was being issued on humanitarian grounds.

During the conversation, the judge advised the PTI founder to avoid a press conference during the hearing. Stressing the importance of maintaining decorum of the court, he suggested that the media talk should follow the hearing.

Imran responded that the jail administration removed the media persons from the courtroom immediately after the hearing. The court allowed him to speak with the media for 10 minutes only after the hearing.

The PTI founder as well as the media persons covering the hearing, complained about makeshift partitions in the courtroom, because of which the journalists could not hear the proceedings.

The court ordered the removal of all the walls erected in the courtroom. On that the jail administration immediately removed some of the temporary glass and wooden walls.

During the hearing, six witnesses from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) were also present in the court. But because of various requests on Friday, no witness statements could not be recorded or cross-examined. The hearing was adjourned till April 23.