IK’s hospital transfer case: PTI criticises FCC intervention to SC order

ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) opposition party expressed disapproval on Tuesday of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) seeking records of Supreme Court proceedings related to the transfer of party co-founder Imran Khan to a hospital. PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram highlighted potential issues of judicial authority overlap and accused the government of diminishing judicial independence via the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments.

He implored the FCC to refrain from interfering in matters currently before the Supreme Court, which was set to resume proceedings in the case.

The government has supported the constitutional reforms, while the PTI persistently opposes them, arguing that they undermine judicial independence and serve political interests. Akram questioned Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Yahya Afridi's management of Imran Khan's medical care and questioned why contempt proceedings had not been initiated over what the PTI labeled as the non-enforcement of a Supreme Court order.

He reiterated the party's plea for Khan to be transferred to a private hospital for all-encompassing medical treatment, including access to his personal physicians and specialists.

PTI spokesman Sheikh Waqas Akram accused the government of targeting party workers through arrests, raids, and limitations on political activities. He also criticized the authorities' handling of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi during his visit to Lahore. Akram expressed that restrictions on the PTI’s planned political activities, such as its September 27 march, infringed upon constitutional rights to freedom of movement and peaceful assembly.

The government has justified restrictions on political gatherings on security and law-and-order grounds.

The opposition party also criticized the government’s recent hike in petroleum prices, dismissing the fuel relief package as insufficient. Akram demanded a reversal of these price increases and measures to provide sustained relief to consumers. He reiterated the demand for the release of Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other political prisoners, arguing that their continued detention was exacerbating political tensions.

Akram stated that the country’s economic and political issues could not be resolved through constitutional amendments or clashes among state institutions. He emphasized the need for constitutional rule, democratic legitimacy, and independent institutions, urging all state institutions to adhere to their constitutional jurisdictions. "No government or public office-holder should be above the Constitution," Akram asserted.