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The denial of lawful access and due medical facilities to former prime minister Imran Khan is now at the heart of debate. Members of the House of Commons, cricket greats as well as the Commonwealth, apart from civil and political strata at home and abroad, have called for amends into the government’s rigid attitude, soliciting due relief for the incarcerated PTI leader.
Jemima Goldsmith is the latest to enter the fray. With her earlier campaign in favour of her former spouse having met with failure, she has now directly sought Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s intervention, pleading with him to allow her sons, Kasim and Suleiman, to meet their father in prison. Despite assurances of a considerate hearing, visa applications by Khan’s sons have been pending for more than two months, as the issue has apparently struck a political discord. Likewise, court orders for allowing family and lawyers to meet Khan have fallen on deaf ears, prompting the political mercury to rise.
Jemima’s plea needs to be attended to in all solemnity. The PM must reciprocate with visa issuance and also see to it that a thaw with the opposition is ushered in. Similarly, the clarion call from imprisoned PTI leaders for a rapprochement cannot be delayed any further. It is a foregone conclusion that political victimisation is the order of the day, and the opposition has been denied its due space. This does not bode well for stability and progress of the country, especially at a time when the chips are down and the region is in the midst of a war.
A letter written to the Chief Justice by senior PTI leaders from jail, seeking an early hearing of appeals against their convictions, should be taken up as a priority and met with justice. A plethora of similar appeals and petitions – ranging from seeking justice over convictions to moving Khan to hospital – need to be given due attention and provided with lawful relief. A judiciary exhibiting its independence would not only sound good for the cause of justice in the country but also enable the government to escape bad press. Let Khan’s sons be allowed to see their father without any further ado.
