Mohsin Naqvi made most ‘serious efforts’ for Imran Khan’s release, says Gandapur

• No one else made same level of effort as Naqvi: Gandapur.
• “Naqvi spoke in support of Imran in front of COAS Munir.”
• Gandapur says he has had no contact with interior minister.

ISLAMABAD: Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur said Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had made more serious and sustained efforts than anyone else to secure the release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.

“I have said this before within the party, and now I am saying it on air: Mohsin Naqvi made vigorous efforts to resolve the issue. He made more efforts than anyone else to ensure his [Khan] release,” the former provincial chief executive said while speaking to a private news channel.

His remarks come amid heightened political tension after a medical report submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan by Khan’s counsel and the court’s amicus curiae, Salman Safdar, confirmed that the former prime minister was diagnosed with a serious eye condition — central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).

CRVO is generally associated with older age and underlying cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. The report stated that Imran Khan, who has been in jail since August 2023, had complained of losing about 85% of the vision in his right eye.

Following the report, the PTI and members of Imran Khan’s family raised an alarm over his health and demanded that he be shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Separately, sources said that a team of specialist doctors from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences and Al-Shifa International Hospital conducted a detailed examination of the former prime minister, expressed satisfaction over his condition and noted significant improvement in his eyesight.

Meanwhile, Gandapur — while talking to the private news channel a day earlier — claimed that Naqvi had spoken in support of the PTI founder even in front of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir, which “no one else dared to do.”

“Naqvi is the only person I have seen who can even get the Field Marshal to engage in a conversation. I have not seen anyone else do that,” he added.

He acknowledged that the PTI had previously been upset with Naqvi over his treatment of the party, including himself. “Imran was angry with him, but now I acknowledge Naqvi’s role in attempting to resolve the matter,” he remarked.

Gandapur also said that he currently had no contact with the interior minister and did not hold any official position through which he could discuss the issue.

He added that he had found it difficult to fully trust the medical reports regarding Khan, citing past experiences that had made him cautious. According to him, doubts arise when family members and senior party leaders are not allowed to meet the PTI founder.

He noted that the PTI was facing internal divisions and a lack of decision-making capacity, which he said has complicated the party’s response to ongoing developments.