Aleema Khan, the sister of PTI founder Imran Khan, along with party leaders, addresses a press conference in Islamabad. Photo: Saba
ISLAMABAD:
The political temperature rose sharply on Thursday as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) expressed serious concerns over the health of its incarcerated leader Imran Khan after a report submitted to the Supreme Court quoted him as saying he had lost 15 percent of the vision in his right eye.
Hours after details of the report were made public, the opposition alliance announced it would stage a sit-in outside Parliament on Friday.
The seven-page report regarding the former prime minister’s living conditions in Adiala jail drew immediate response from the PTI and other opposition parties.
While the PTI strongly condemned the treatment meted out to 73-year-old Imran Khan, Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), of which the PTI is a major shareholder, announced a sit-in outside Parliament.
The PTI central leadership will lead the protest outside the main gate of Parliament, while all members of the National and Provincial Assembly and opposition senators have been invited to participate.
The decision was taken during consultations among leaders of the opposition alliance in Islamabad.
“Tomorrow (Friday) we will present our demands. If, God forbid, something happens before our demands are accepted, then the government will be responsible. Our demands will not be illegitimate. Everything will be said within the limits of humanity and politics,” announced Mehmood Achakzai, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and head of the opposition alliance.
The president is expected to address Parliament the day after tomorrow. “If our sit-in continues, how will the joint session take place and how will he deliver his speech,” he asked.
“We don’t want any disorder, but we want to make it clear that those responsible for Imran Khan’s health, especially the superintendent, should have been summoned to Parliament. This is not happening, so we will stage a sit-in.”
“We will also present a list of our demands. As for how long we will stay there, only God knows, but once we sit down, we will not leave,” he said.
Initially, opposition MPs would join the sit-in. However, PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja said anyone can join the sit-in.
“Our senators will be there, and I hope our MPs and MPs will also join. After Friday prayers, we will gather there and sit in protest,” said Opposition Leader in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.
“We demand that Khan Sahib be given immediate access to his doctors, to doctors he trusts and who are specialists in his condition. Today is the third day since the report was submitted, even though the report has already made things clear for everyone. If the judges said to take certain measures by February 16, then why is the government delaying its accountability until then?”
PTI KP President Junaid Akbar urged all members of the National and Provincial Assembly and Senators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to ensure their participation in the D-Chowk sit-in.
Earlier, PTI leaders held a press conference describing the situation as serious and demanding immediate medical access and accountability.
PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja said Khan had endured everything without complaint, but his eye condition had worsened over the past three months.
When his vision was completely lost, the warden of Adiala Prison was replaced.
Raja criticized authorities for keeping a major political leader in jail while the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has been unable to hear cases for over a year.
He called on the nation to respond to the injustice, saying Khan should be immediately released and allowed to be treated by trusted doctors.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi called the situation a “criminal act” and a violation of jail rules, pointing out that Khan was taken to the hospital without his consent and without consulting his personal doctors or family.
Afridi also said that the report presented to Achakzai was incorrect. “These people are lying and we will no longer trust what they say.”
Opposition alliance leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the detailed contents of the report revealed that Khan had completely lost his eyesight despite repeated complaints to the prison director.
Only after completely losing his sight was he taken to PIMS, where only 15% of his vision returned.
He called the situation a reminder of Pakistan’s darkest times, where even the health of individuals was neglected.
Furthermore, the PTI issued an official statement expressing “deep concern and anguish” over this report. “We strongly condemn the treatment meted out to Imran Khan, particularly with regard to the serious deterioration of his eyesight,” the party said, adding that the report revealed facts “enough to shake the conscience of every Pakistani.”
The PTI claimed that prison authorities had limited Khan’s treatment to basic eye drops for the past three to four months, while denying him access to his personal doctors.
“This constitutes an act of gross and inexcusable negligence. This is not just a medical error; it amounts to gambling with his life and health,” the party said, warning that there would be “no compromise” on Khan’s health and rights.
The party said it would raise its voice against this injustice in all constitutional, legal, public and international forums and reserved the right to launch a public movement if the demands remained unmet.
He stressed that any further negligence could provoke a severe public backlash and demanded immediate, transparent and independent medical care for Khan.
The PTI also warned that any harm to Khan’s health would be legally justified, reserving the right to take legal action against those responsible.
The party criticized the denial of the presence of a family member during medical examination and the continued restriction of basic facilities, calling it deeply disappointing.
It demanded unrestricted access to Khan’s trusted doctors, transfer to a reputable hospital for specialized eye treatment if necessary, unhindered access to legal counsel and full restoration of the family’s visitation rights, calling any refusal a violation of justice and international standards.
The PTI urged international human rights organizations and the media to take note, warning that prolonged solitary confinement and restriction of medical and family contacts constitute mental and medical torture.
