The opposition takes a defiant tone

ISLAMABAD:

The deteriorating health condition of PTI founder Imran Khan, revealed in a report submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday, has triggered a political storm in the country, with the government defending the timing of medical treatment and the opposition alleging negligence and constitutional violations.

The government side appeared to be in retreat after voices were raised on both sides of the divide, demanding better treatment for the incarcerated prime minister.

Parliament became a rallying point for the opposition alliance to shake up the issue – both inside and outside – as the Tehreek Tahafuz-e-Ayeen Pakistan (TTAP) laid siege to its gates, vowing not to move until the PTI founder was shifted to a hospital for emergency eye treatment.

In the Senate, the session witnessed heated exchanges between the Treasury and the opposition after a resolution expressing concerns over Imran’s health was rejected by a voice vote, triggering protests and slogans from opposition lawmakers.

The move comes just 24 hours after the Supreme Court was told that the incarcerated former prime minister had only 15 percent vision left in his right eye, a revelation that sparked a new confrontation between the government and opposition.

The announcement of the sit-in transformed an already tense capital into a theater of protest, with opposition MPs accusing the authorities of negligence and the government opposing the “politicization of a medical issue”.

Following lawyer Salman Safdar’s submissions in the Supreme Court regarding Imran’s deteriorating eyesight, TTAP announced that it would protest until the incarcerated former prime minister was transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital for treatment under the supervision of his personal medical team.

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The alliance made it clear that there would be “no compromise” on the health of the PTI founder, and all PTI parliamentarians were invited to join the protest.

In the evening, around 7:40 p.m., TTAP announced that the sit-in had moved to the Parliament corridor under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Achakzai, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

However, the protest remained concentrated at the main entrance of Parliament, where opposition leaders reiterated that it would continue until Imran was shifted to hospital.

Earlier in the day, Achakzai vowed to continue the sit-in “until all demands are met.”

TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar claimed that the government had “sealed all roads leading to Parliament” and claimed that “the doors of parliamentary boxes had been closed, trapping MPs and senators inside”.

According to him, these measures were aimed at preventing opposition members from demonstrating and demanding medical access. “This does not reflect a strength, but rather a weakness,” he said.

Meanwhile, Awaam Pakistan leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail announced that their party would join the TTAP sit-in.

Speaking before the protest, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry maintained that the opposition had the right to protest, but denied that the government had imposed a blockade.

He reiterated that the government had “repeatedly” assured that “no negligence would be tolerated regarding Imran’s health”. Terming it a medical issue rather than a political one, Chaudhry said the PTI founder would be taken “wherever he prefers” for treatment.

“Wherever he (Imran) wants to go for examination, he will be taken. If he wants to go to Al-Shifa Eye Trust, then he will be taken there. There will be no negligence in the matter,” he said, adding that any doctor recommended by the chief justice would also be accommodated.

He dismissed reports of treatment delays, noting that the issue was not raised during family meetings on December 2, the medical examination on December 9, or during Toshakhana’s verdict on December 20.

He stressed that Chief Justice Yahya Afridi was “handling the matter himself”.

Senate

The Senate session itself began in an unusual manner with the President, Vice President and members of the Speakers’ Panel absent, prompting the House to pass a motion electing Senator Shahadat Awan to preside over the proceedings.

When the agenda began, Leader of Opposition in the Senate and head of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, sought permission to speak on the health of Imran Khan and was granted the floor. However, before they could begin, PTI Senator Aon Abbas Buppi filed a resolution demanding immediate medical intervention.

The resolution called for the former prime minister to be transferred to a “first-class, high-level hospital for comprehensive medical examination and treatment.” He further demanded that his personal doctors and private medical team be given immediate and regular access, and that his family be fully informed of his medical condition.

The resolution was defeated by a voice vote.

The opposition’s demand for an official count was also rejected by the president, prompting PTI lawmakers to gather outside the president’s podium and chant slogans against the “inhumane treatment” of a high-profile prisoner.

“No four-month delay”

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs and PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah told the House that allegations of a four-month delay in processing were “absolutely incorrect”.

According to him, Imran Khan first complained of an eye problem in the first week of January.

He said that after the complaint, the prison doctor prescribed him eye drops, which were used for several days. On January 15, the prison superintendent wrote to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Two doctors examined him on January 16 and recommended tests. A four-member medical team, including Dr Usman, Dr Nauman Iqbal, Dr Arif and Dr Saman, examined him on January 19. On January 24, he received an eye injection at PIMS.

“These measures are documented,” Rana Sanaullah said, adding that prompt treatment was provided without delay. He said prison doctors examined the PTI founder every two days and outside medical boards had examined his condition 25 times so far.

He also noted that there had been no reference to any eye disease during the medical board’s examination on December 9.

Referring to earlier meetings, he said Uzma Khan met Imran Khan on December 2 and told the media that his health was “absolutely good”. On December 20, when the Toshakhana-II verdict was announced, Salman Safdar and other lawyers spent two hours with him, but no eye complaints were raised.

“If the PTI has any suggestions regarding the medical care of its founding president, it should approach the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” he said, adding that the government would fully implement all directions issued by the apex court.

He further said that the report submitted to the Supreme Court indicated that the PTI founder was satisfied with the prison security and living conditions.

Calls for better treatment

Senior PML-N leader Javed Latif and JUI-F leaders Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded that the PTI founder be allowed to meet his family and personal doctor immediately.

Speaking on an Express News show, Latif said no one has the right to play with other people’s lives and criticized the idea of ​​gloating over someone’s illness. He urged the government to allow urgent medical treatment of the PTI founder abroad.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has demanded that former Prime Minister Imran Khan be provided with comprehensive medical facilities at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, where the PTI founder has been detained since September 2024.

“Imran Khan should be allowed to be examined by a doctor of his choice on humanitarian grounds,” the JUI-F chief said in a statement on Friday.