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Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi delivers a video message on January 27, 2026.
The opposition Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) on Wednesday called off its sit-in outside Parliament as the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister announced the formation of the ‘Imran Khan Release Force’, a new strategy to seek relief for jailed Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan.
The PTI and its allies demonstrated to demand that Khan be treated for his eyes at one of the country’s best hospitals, under the supervision of his personal doctors and in the presence of his family members.
The alliance officially ended its protest outside Parliament while simultaneously unveiling a new political campaign for Khan’s release, amid growing concerns over his deteriorating health and alleged violations of court directives.
Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas said the TTAP sit-in was ending with the start of Ramazan, as the alliance revises its next plan of action.
Abbas said the protest was launched in response to what he described as government negligence and unconstitutional conduct regarding Khan’s treatment. He said several cases, including terrorism charges, had been registered against them due to their peaceful protests.
Referring to Khan’s condition, Abbas said a medical report submitted to the court confirmed some improvement in his eyesight, although serious concerns remained and continued monitoring was needed. He accused prison authorities of negligence, saying legal action was underway.
He sought specialized treatment at Shifa International Hospital and demanded that Khan’s family members and his personal doctors have access to it. “Even a slight improvement makes us happy and we pray for his full recovery,” Abbas said, stressing that transparency required that relatives and medical professionals be allowed to see him.
A day earlier, TTAP announced it would continue the sit-in until a meeting with Khan was secured and his treatment sorted out, after reports of vision loss surfaced. PTI lawyer Salman Safdar informed the apex court that Khan was left with only 15% vision in his right eye following medical complications, triggering an outcry from the opposition ranks.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi announced the formation of the ‘Imran Khan Liberation Force’, saying a peaceful public movement had become inevitable after what he termed persistent violations of court orders.
Afridi said the force would continue a completely peaceful struggle and would be disbanded by Khan himself after his release. He added that responsibility for managing the protests and negotiations had been given to Abbas and Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
He said the force would include members of the PTI, Insaf Students’ Federation and the party’s women’s wing, adding that it would be officially registered, operate under a clear chain of command and would only begin operations once preparations were completed.
According to Afridi, the initiative aims to ensure constitutional supremacy, strengthen democracy and safeguard the independence of the media. He stressed that PTI is a disciplined political party with a clear chain of command.
He insisted that Khan’s treatment under the supervision of his personal doctors, in the presence of his family and in a hospital meeting international standards was his constitutional and legal right, stressing that Khan was not an ordinary prisoner but the former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Afridi said PTI workers have been taking to the streets for several days without any formal call, staging completely peaceful protests. “Not even a flower pot was broken,” he noted, saying this proves that the party’s protests remain constitutional and in accordance with the law.
(COURTESY OF OUR PESHAWAR CORRESPONDENT)
