Qadir Patel says PTI chief was in an ‘intoxicated state’ when he was arrested on May 9
Minister for National Health Services Abdul Qadir Patel on Friday claimed that alcohol and cocaine were detected in the urine samples of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, taken after his arrest on May 9 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
He said that a medical board was constituted shortly after the arrest of the deposed premier which included renowned psychologist, Dr Rizwan Taj, orthopedic medicine experts, and medico-legal specialists.
“On May 9, Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi was presented before the medical board for examination. When he was taken into custody by NAB, he was in an intoxicated state,” Patel claimed during a press conference in Islamabad.
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The health minister said that the inclusion of renowned psychologists on the board was to address the suspicion raised by the anti-graft buster regarding Khan’s communication style and body language, suggesting possible mental stress.
The medical board, according to Patel, found Khan to be a “habitual user of illegal substances” as evidence of the presence of alcohol and cocaine in his urine samples was found.
He said that the board has come to the conclusion that the PTI chief was under severe psychological pressure.
Qadi also distributed Imran Khan’s medical report to the journalist during the press conference which stated: “The gentleman [Imran Khan] was examined and appears under stress with anxiety symptoms. There was extensive anger/anxiety about the events happening in the last few weeks. He had little insight into the seriousness and reality of the current situation. The mental stability is questionable. There were some inappropriate gestures.”
The health minister said that the final report, containing the exact percentages of cocaine and alcohol found in Khan’s system, is yet to be released.
“If the Supreme Court deems Imran Niazi mentally unstable, we will accept the court’s decision,” he added. He even suggested keeping the PTI chief in Giddu Bandar Mental Hospital in Hyderabad “as a guest”.
The federal health minister said that after the attack, Imran Khan’s leg was hit by bullet fragments, and he plastered it, saying it was a fracture. But there is no mention of a fracture in his leg in his medical reports, he maintained.
He also asked which plaster in the world remains on the leg for six months.
Patel said that doctors who recommended Khan to wear plaster cast for a period of six months would also be summoned. “Who wears plaster for a bullet wound,” he questioned.
Meanwhile, Khan’s PTI has issued a rebuttal of Patel’s claims, vowing to pursue legal action against the health minister.
“Imran has approved bringing the health minister, NAB, health ministry and PIMS doctors to the book,” the party said in a statement on Twitter.
It said the party’s legal team, led by Barrister Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi, has initiated preparations and added that legal action would be taken against the health minister.
PTI leader Farrukh Habib also termed the minister’s claims as examples of “shamelessness and vulgarity”. He said the party would not tolerate “nonsense” anymore.
