No grounds to shift Qasim to Senahiya: Lawyers

Lawyers for Maamigili Constituency MP Qasim Ibrahim says that there are no legal grounds to transfer the Parliamentarian from ADK ICU to Senahiya, a state-owned health service provider.

Responding to the rumors that the Government was planning such a move, lawyer Hisaan Hussain said that the state had no such rights on Qasim.

‘He is in ADK’s ICU. Our legal team doesn’t understand how such a ruling can be enacted on him. He’s not a criminal serving a sentence. He’s not incarceration. He’s not a fugitive. Even in the last hearings, the Court had cancelled the hearing. In this situation, Qasim is an independent private citizen. How can the Government transfer him to a military hospital; discharging him from ADK under a court order or transfer to Senahiya under a court order?’ she said.

Noting that authorities had not informed of such a decision, Hisaan called on the government to act prudently.

Lawyer and former Assistant Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem said that Qasim’s passport was confiscated under a court order, citing that he is wanted in the country for the hearings of three cases in Criminal Court. Shameem stressed there were no legal reasons to hold his passport and that there were no justifications in this case.

The lawyers reiterated that Qasim’s doctors had recommended that he be flown abroad for medical tests which are urgently required. As such, they said all relevant documentation concerning Qasim’s medical condition have been shared with relevant authorities, including Courts. They added that the Parliamentarian’s condition is critical.