Imran’s post-arrest medical report says’under stress with anxiety symptoms

KARACHI 26 May (Online): A medical fitness certificate of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, prepared by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (Pims) post-arrest and released to the media on Friday, claimed that the former prime minister appears “under stress with anxiety symptoms” and had “little insight about the seriousness and reality of the current situation”.

The report — prepared by a five-member Pims panel of Dr Rizwan Taj, Dr Sajid Zaki Chowhan, Dr Irshad Hussain, Dr Asfand Yar Khan and Dr Syed Mehdi Hassan Naqvi — was shared by Health Minister Abdul Qadir Patel in a press conference.

He said the report showed the results of Imran’s tests conducted while he was under the National Accountability Bureau’s custody earlier this month. The PTI chief was whisked away from the Islamabad High Court premises by paramilitary forces on May 9, leading to violent protests nationwide.
The report said there was “extensive anger/anxiety about the events happening in the last few weeks.

“The mental stability is questionable. There are some inappropriate gestures,” it added.
However, the certificate also declared Imran’s higher mental function to be “intact”, clinical status as “stable” and termed him “fit” for detention by the accountability watchdog.

Talking to the media in Karachi today, Patel said: “The medical report says, ‘When we analysed him and examined him, his behaviour wasn’t that of a mentally fit and sane man but questionable and some actions were such that a normal sane man wouldn’t do those’.”

He also said that Imran’s medical tests had no mention of a fracture on the ex-premier’s leg. It should be noted that the PTI chief sustained bullet injuries in his leg during an assassination attempt in Wazirabad last year.

However, Patel claimed that contrary to Imran’s claims, he did not have a fracture in his leg. “Why did he then carry around a plaster on his leg for the past five to six months?”

The health minister said that he would write a letter to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council — which he claimed is the regulatory body related to hospitals and doctors and had a disciplinary committee present to take action against fake and wrong practices — seeking summons for the doctors who had recommended a plaster on Imran’s leg.

The health minister also alleged that the initial report of Imran’s urine sample showed the presence of toxic chemicals, “the likes of alcohol and cocaine”.

But he said the government would not reach any conclusion until the proportions and concentrations of the sample’s constituents did not arrive.

After that, the health minister said, possible action such as the registration of a first information report could be taken against Imran.