ISLAMABAD: Dr Uzma Niazi has claimed that her brother, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, repeatedly referred to former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi during their meeting at PIMS Hospital and expressed concerns about his health and conditions in detention.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, Dr Uzma said Imran Khan told her that he was being kept in solitary confinement and that his requests for medical treatment had not been properly addressed. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has long maintained that Imran Khan is being held in solitary confinement at Adiala Jail and is not receiving adequate medical care. The government, however, has repeatedly denied the allegation and said that all necessary medical facilities are available to the former prime minister.

Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar also said on Friday that Imran Khan had previously been provided medical facilities and would receive treatment whenever required.Dr Uzma’s remarks brought renewed attention to the case of Mohamed Morsi, whose death in custody has previously raised concerns among human rights organisations.

How did Mohamed Morsi die?

Former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi died on June 17, 2019, after collapsing during a court hearing in Cairo. Egyptian authorities said he suffered a heart attack. Morsi had been brought to court in a soundproof cage, where he spoke for around five minutes before losing consciousness. At the time, he was facing a trial related to alleged contacts with the Palestinian group Hamas. Morsi’s family and international human rights organisations had previously raised concerns about his detention conditions and access to medical care. They said he had been held in prolonged solitary confinement and had limited contact with his family.

Amnesty International also raised concerns about his access to relatives, lawyers and medical care during his imprisonment. Human Rights Watch described his death as a serious concern and criticised the conditions in which he had been detained.

Who was Mohamed Morsi?

Mohamed Morsi was born in 1951 in Egypt’s Sharqia province. He studied engineering at Cairo University and later completed a PhD in the United States.He became Egypt’s first democratically elected president in 2012, but his government lasted only about a year. On July 3, 2013, following mass protests against his government, Egypt’s military removed Morsi from power and detained him. Several criminal cases were subsequently filed against him.

Morsi and other senior Muslim Brotherhood figures faced charges including the detention and mistreatment of protesters, contacts with foreign groups, leaking classified information and other offences.Morsi rejected the legitimacy of the proceedings and described his removal from power as a military coup.He remained in detention until his death in court on June 17, 2019. His death prompted international concern over his detention conditions, medical care and prolonged solitary confinement.