PTI leaders, legislators and workers are camping outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad. Photo: Sabah
ISLAMABAD:
A day-long sit-in outside the Supreme Court by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders on Friday sought assurances that authorities would provide his family with a medical report on incarcerated leader Imran Khan.
After staging several hours of protest in front of Adiala prison on Thursday evening, PTI leaders gathered in front of the apex court on Friday to denounce the government for keeping them in the dark about their leader’s health.
The protest, led by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja, was aimed at ensuring that Imran Khan’s personal doctors could assess his health after Information Minister Atta Tarar confirmed the other day that Imran had been taken to Islamabad Hospital for a procedure related to his eye treatment.
This triggered a sharp reaction from the PTI who staged a sit-in after Imran Khan was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment without prior information being shared with his family or lawyers. The PTI raised concerns over lack of access to proper medical care, alleging that the government had withheld information about the former prime minister’s health condition.
Salman Akram Raja, who was present in the Supreme Court since early morning, said that while obtaining the medical report was a step forward, it was not fully satisfactory. “Nothing is more important to the party than the health of our founding president.”
He also held a 30-minute meeting with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, during which the PTI’s concerns were expressed. The Chief Justice, along with the Attorney General and the Registrar of the Supreme Court, assured that medical reports would be provided to Imran Khan and his sisters, and his personal doctors would have access to him once the reports were received.
Following this assurance, the PTI decided to call off the sit-in in front of the Supreme Court.
The party general secretary stressed that the fight in the Supreme Court was both a moral and legal battle, adding that Imran Khan was taken to hospital and examined by doctors against his wishes.
“The fight for the rights of the PTI founder, including meetings with his family and legal team, will continue,” he said.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi told media that the party had initially planned to decide its future course of action based on the court’s ruling on whether Imran Khan’s personal doctor would be allowed to meet him for a medical check-up.
“We have now received an answer, and it is no. Following this, we have called a meeting of our political committee, where the future course of action will be decided,” he said.
“Whatever is decided in the political committee will be presented to you. We condemn and are angry with everything that happened in the last two days. People should take this into account and act wisely.
The party then convened a meeting of its political committee at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House to discuss next steps, including broader protest strategies. The KP CM stressed that the political committee, in consultation with opposition leaders, would finalize the future course of action of the party.
Following a joint meeting of the Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Political Committee, Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan chief and leader of opposition Mahmood Achakzai said February 8 would be a “decisive and historic day for the survival of the nation, the supremacy of the Constitution and the release of democratic leader Imran Khan”.
He stressed that on this day it was essential to demonstrate the unity of all national and democratic forces and to ensure robust public action.
On Thursday, after days of speculation, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Imran had undergone a medical procedure for an eye disease at PIMS on Saturday evening. This was the first time Imran Khan had been out of Adiala Prison since his arrest in August 2023, following convictions in several cases.
Soon after the minister’s confirmation, KP Chief Minister Afridi, along with other provincial cabinet members, reached Adiala Road, but the police did not allow them to pass through the factory check post. Afridi demanded that the PTI founder be allowed to meet his family, party members and lawyers to “prevent further deterioration of the situation”.
Afridi announced the sit-in after PTI leaders were denied a meeting with Imran Khan. He stressed that every individual has the right to be treated by their personal doctor and invited all members of the provincial assembly to join, thus strengthening the demand.
PTI leaders said the founder’s personal doctors were visiting Adiala prison on Thursday evening, but it was unclear whether authorities would allow them to see him. Party members called doctors’ access a “matter of fundamental humanity” and said they would stay if they were denied permission.
The night sit-in outside Adiala jail was later called off around 2.30 am, after Salman Akram Raja said a petition had been filed in a trial court seeking permission to meet Imran Khan in jail and announced his intention to approach the Supreme Court to submit a memorandum on the issue.
