Designer Khadijah Shah calls for Dr Yasmin Rashid’s release from jail after PTI leader hospitalised

Designer Khadijah Shah has called for the release of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) imprisoned Punjab president Dr Yasmin Rashid, after she was hospitalised due to an alleged lack of timely treatment.

Dr Rashid’s lawyer, advocate Rana Mudassar Umer, told Dawn earlier that she was shifted to the Services Hospital in an ambulance only after she fell unconscious on Wednesday. On Thursday, he said she is doing slightly better but is unwell.

He alleged that the 72-year-old, who is a cancer survivor, was not provided treatment by jail authorities on Tuesday despite continuous vomiting and experiencing stomach issues.

In a story shared on Instagram, Shah recalled that she and Dr Rashid used to play games when Shah herself was imprisoned for her alleged involvement in the May 9 attacks.

“Dr [Yasmin] and I used to play Scrabble for hours every day, she had got the game from home and roped me into playing with her. Those were our happy hours, when we’d briefly forget we were incarcerated, away from our families and with virtually no immediate hope of release.”

Shah said that Dr Rashid would “fondly reminisce about her children and grandchildren”, and was going to be a great-grandmother soon.

“This lady does not deserve to be behind bars at this stage of her life. She needs to be with her children and grandchildren and be celebrated for her lifelong achievements,” Shah implored, alongside a picture of Dr Rashid on a hospital bed.

“She deserves peace and the comfort of her own home. Let Dr Yasmeen go, having her imprisoned shows weakness, not strength!”

In a comment to Dawn.com, her lawyer said the PTI leader had been hospitalised since Wednesday and there was only a 10 to 20 per cent improvement in her condition.

“She has not eaten anything for two days and vomits even if she drinks water. The doctors have changed her medication and are hoping for an improvement,” he said, adding that her stomach infections could have either been caused by the water or food served in prison, or due to a viral infection.

Mudassar said that Dr Rashid was under strict security and her family members were not allowed to look after her, nor was she permitted to meet many people.

The former Punjab health minister was scheduled to appear before the court on Thursday, her lawyer said, and police officials were insistent on taking her, but the hospital staff provided a certificate “very late,”. She could not be taken to court, he explained, because her health would have deteriorated.

Dr Rashid has been in prison for almost a year in connection with multiple cases registered against her following the May 9 riots erupting countrywide after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.

She was detained on May 12 last year under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance and later arrested for her alleged involvement in the May 9 riots.

Earlier this year, the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) registered a case against Dr Rashid and her daughter for allegedly violating the merit system and misusing authority.