INTERNATIONAL DESK — Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday defended the medical treatment being provided to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, insisting that the government had neither "neglected" his healthcare needs in the past nor would it allow any negligence in the future. The remarks come amid renewed concerns about Imran’s health following a meeting with his lawyer at Adiala jail on November 2, during which Imran disclosed that his blood pressure had surged to 192, putting him at risk of a brain haemorrhage.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament House, Chaudhry said that Barrister Salman Safdar had himself acknowledged that medical check-up facilities were "available" to Imran during a media talk outside Islamabad High Court earlier in the day. Read: Gohar demands immediate implementation of SC order on Imran's medical treatment "The government was neither previously negligent about his medical treatment nor will any negligence be tolerated in the future in this regard." Chaudhry maintained that the government would continue to ensure adequate medical care for Imran, adding that the PTI founder had been taken to hospital six times for medical examinations even before the Supreme Court had issued its order. The Supreme Court on August 18 had ordered that the PTI founder be shifted to Islamabad's Shifa International Hospital within two days