Pakistan’s health minister publicizes ex-PM Khan’s medical report, calls his mental stability ‘questionable’

Pakistan’s health minister Abdul Qadir Patel addressing a news conference in Karachi on May 26, 2023. (Photo courtesy: social media)

• Abdul Qadir Patel defends the decision to unveil the report, says ‘any document is a public document in democracy’
• Minister denied ex-PM’s claims of a fractured leg after an apparent assassination attempt targeting Khan last November

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s health minister Abdul Qadir Patel said on Friday former prime minister Imran Khan’s mental stability was “questionable” after he shared a medical report prepared by a panel of five doctors at a leading public hospital in the federal capital.
Khan was made to undergo a medical checkup after his arrest from the Islamabad High Court by paramilitary Rangers on corruption charges earlier this month. The procedure was carried out to satisfy a legal requirement ahead of interrogation by government agencies.
The health minister informed the former prime minister’s medical examination was carried out under the supervision of five senior doctors at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad.
“The report says his [Khan’s] mental stability is questionable [as] there were some inappropriate gestures,” he said while addressing a news conference in Karachi.
Patel defended the government’s decision to share the report’s findings with the public during the media talk, saying “any document is a public document in democracy.”
“His [the ex-PM’s] urine sample was [also] obtained and, according to the initial report, it contained toxic substances, including high quantities of alcohol and cocaine,” he continued.
Khan, who survived an apparent assassination attempt while leading an anti-government rally last year, said his leg was fractured by gunshot wounds. However, the health minister also questioned that claimed.
“This person had a very heavy plaster cast wrapped [around his leg] for five to six months despite his medical report showing no signs of fracture,” he said. “Tell me, if there is a wound on the skin or flesh, have you ever seen anyone wearing a plaster cast to [treat it], that too for five to six months.”
In response to a question, he said the government would also write to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), a regulatory body, to summon the doctors who said Khan’s leg had fractured.
The relation between the ex-premier and the ruling coalition continues to remain bitter since the former was driven out of power in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in April last year.