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Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken notice of the failure to conduct a CT angiography (CTA) test at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) after PTI founder Imran Khan was taken to the hospital for a medical examination. The prime minister has formed an inquiry committee to investigate why the recommended cardiac test could not be performed and determine whether the required facilities were available at the hospital. The committee will be headed by the secretary of the Establishment Division and will include senior officials and medical experts from the National Health Services ministry, Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) and PIMS. The inquiry will examine whether PIMS had the technical capacity to conduct CTA scans since 2022. It will also determine whether the necessary equipment, software and trained staff were available when the test was recommended. The committee will review hospital records to establish how many CTA procedures have been conducted at PIMS since 2022 and whether patients requiring the test were routinely referred to private medical facilities. The investigation will also examine coordination between the cardiology and radiology departments and determine whether administrative shortcomings contributed to the failure to conduct the test. According to hospital officials, Imran Khan was brought to PIMS in the early hours of Friday for a medical check-up. His CTA was recommended, but the test was not carried out and he was subsequently taken back to Adiala Jail. The issue has raised questions about the availability and use of diagnostic facilities at the public-sector hospital. Officials said a CTA machine in the cardiac centre had remained out of service for years, while another machine in the radiology department was reportedly operational. The inquiry will specifically determine whether hospital staff were aware of the functioning radiology facility and why the patient was not referred there for the required examination. The committee will also investigate whether poor coordination, mismanagement or a misunderstanding between departments caused the failure and whether any officials should be held responsible. It has further been tasked with examining referrals to private hospitals, including whether any particular private facility was repeatedly preferred and whether such referrals resulted in the diversion of patients and revenue from the public hospital. Prime Minister Shehbaz has directed the committee to conduct a comprehensive review of all relevant records and facts and submit its findings. Further action will be taken on the basis of the inquiry report and in accordance with the law.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar has defended the government’s position on meetings with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in prison. He said matters that are pending before the courts should generally not be debated in parliament. However, he noted that the Senate was discussing such issues. Tarar made the remarks during a Senate session. Lawmakers were debating Imran Khan’s health and concerns over restrictions on meetings with him. The minister said cases related to the May 9 incidents and other cases involving Imran Khan were before the courts. He said the PTI founder and other individuals had filed appeals against decisions in their cases. According to Tarar, several legal matters remain pending before different judicial forums. He said the delay in deciding appeals and cases was a broader problem within the judicial system. The law minister pointed to delays in National Accountability Bureau (NAB) cases. He said some NAB appeals had remained undecided for as long as six years. He said Imran Khan’s petitions and applications were also pending before the relevant courts. Therefore, he argued, those matters should be addressed through the judicial process. Tarar also referred to the cases involving former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. He said Sharif had been convicted by the courts and later challenged the decisions through appeals. He added that relief was subsequently granted to Sharif by the judiciary itself. The minister said this showed that legal disputes should be settled through the courts. The Senate debate also focused on Imran Khan’s access to visitors in prison. Tarar said prison authorities had to follow the jail manual. He said the rules applied to all prisoners and could not be changed for one individual. He argued that if special permission was given to one prisoner, similar requests from other prisoners would also have to be considered. The minister said the government wanted a system in which everyone was treated equally before the law. He referred to the principle that the powerful and ordinary citizens should stand on the same footing. His remarks came after opposition lawmakers demanded that the Senate discuss Imran Khan’s health and the restrictions on meetings with him. Senator Raja Nasir Abbas had specifically called for a discussion on the PTI founder’s health. The issue has remained a major point of political disagreement between the government and PTI. The opposition has repeatedly raised concerns about Imran Khan’s health and access to family members, lawyers and political leaders. Tarar maintained that the government’s position was based on existing legal and prison procedures. He said pending court cases should not be settled through political debate.