- Main road cleared and traffic fully restored after hours of disruption.
- The demonstration caused nearly six hours of serious traffic jams.
- Vehicles remained stuck in long queues during the sit-in.
A sit-in protest organized by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at Chungi number 26 in Islamabad was called off after successful negotiations with the capital’s police, officials said on Wednesday.
Islamabad Police SSP Operations said that talks between PTI leaders and police on reopening the road resulted in an agreement, after which the main road was cleared and traffic flow was restored.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and party founder Imran Khan’s sister Aleema Khan later left the venue after the protest was dispersed.
The protest was held to express solidarity with Khan, who underwent a medical examination at Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi, prison sources said. PK Press Club News Tuesday.
The medical team’s visit came after PTI-backed KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi failed in his attempt to meet the imprisoned former prime minister at the jail.
Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023 after being convicted in a series of cases he says were politically motivated.
Since his ouster through a vote of no confidence in 2022, Khan has faced numerous cases, including those related to state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, while appeals in other cases remain ongoing. He denies any wrongdoing.
The blockade caused severe traffic disruptions for several hours, with vehicles stuck in long queues on several routes in the capital and traffic paralyzed for around six hours.
Speaking to the media at 26 Chungi, the KP chief minister said he and his cabinet members were stopped from meeting Imran Khan, terming the move “discriminatory”.
“We are here to meet Imran Khan in a peaceful manner,” he said, adding that party members had shown restraint throughout.
Afridi said Imran Khan’s meetings with his family members, lawyers and personal doctors were a basic human right.
“Imran Khan is suffering from a serious eye disease and should be treated at a hospital of his choice,” he added.
The KP chief minister further said that the former prime minister had “shown generosity” in allowing the treatment of political opponents in the past, adding that the party was only demanding basic human rights.
Afridi also said his government was committed to resolving provincial issues and restoring stability to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said efforts to improve peace in the province were underway and would be successful, while attempts were also being made on the political front and for the release of the PTI founder and other detained leaders.
