ISLAMABAD (MNN); The opposition on Monday decided to extend its sit-in at the Parliament House until Tuesday, one of the two court-mandated days to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, citing the need to “see the government’s response” to their demand for access to the former prime minister.
Imran Khan’s family and personal physicians had been barred from visiting him for weeks, until last week when the Supreme Court allowed PTI lawyer Salman Safdar to meet him. Safdar later submitted a report to the SC indicating that only 15 percent vision remained in Imran’s right eye.
This prompted the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz-i-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) to stage a sit-in at Parliament House demanding proper medical treatment and examination for Imran Khan. The protest, which began Friday, entered its fourth day on Monday, with TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai saying it would continue till Tuesday.
Yousafzai said the opposition would not be satisfied unless Imran’s family and personal doctors, including his cousin Dr. Nosherwan Barki, were allowed to meet him. The TTAP also reiterated its demand for shifting Imran to Shifa International Hospital, claiming government assurances had not been honored.
Earlier, roads leading to Parliament House, blocked ahead of the sit-in, were reopened, allowing the protest to merge with the Parliament Lodges sit-in. The opposition’s demonstration is also ongoing at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, led by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who emphasized that medical access under family and personal doctor supervision is Imran’s constitutional right.
Afridi described Imran as “not an ordinary prisoner” and called on the government to treat his health as a matter beyond politics. PTI MNA Asad Qaiser also said the party would continue its sit-ins until Imran is moved to Shifa International Hospital, insisting, “We will not compromise on Imran’s health.”
