In Parliament, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and lawyer Gohar Ali Khan continued their sit-in which began after Friday prayers. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday ended its sit-in outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House, with Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur leaving the protest site.
Adjacent roads were reopened to traffic after the demonstration. The sit-in by PTI members of the National Assembly and senators in the Parliament boxes has also ended.
However, the sit-in by opposition MPs in Parliament continues, with National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Nasir Abbas, former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser and PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja still present at the scene.
Read: Opposition sit-in enters third day over Imran Khan’s medical treatment
Speaking to the media, lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, president of PTI, said that Achakzai would announce the end of the sit-in. “We are waiting for the medical report of the founder,” he said, adding that the contents of the report would be made public.
The sit-in is linked to concerns over the health of former Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan. A team of five specialist doctors conducted a detailed medical examination at Adiala Prison in Rawalpindi on Sunday. No PTI leaders were present despite an offer from the government to allow them to witness the monitoring.
Adiala Prison Superintendent Sajid Baig said a team of specialists visited the prison with medical equipment, medicines and other supplies to conduct Imran’s eye examination. The examination was carried out under the supervision of a two-member medical commission, he said.
The demonstration by opposition MPs began on Friday and continued despite government assurances. Monday marked the fourth day of leaders’ sit-in outside Parliament and KP House, demanding that Imran receive urgent medical treatment for his eye problem.
Lawmakers, led by Achakzai and Abbas, vowed that the sit-in would not end until Imran was transferred to specialized care. Protesters cited reports claiming that his vision in his right eye had deteriorated significantly and demanded treatment in the presence of his family and personal doctors.
Learn more: PTI protesters block KP highways over IK health
Meanwhile, the supply of essential commodities was disrupted as PTI workers blocked major highways connecting KP with Punjab for the last four days. This has sparked concerns about shortages in the run-up to Ramazan.
The Peshawar highway remained closed for a third day from the Mardan Rashakai interchange, while the Swabi highway was also closed due to protests, a highway police spokesperson said. However, the Peshawar-Charsadda highway remained open with traffic allowed from Chach and Ghazi interchanges.
The sit-ins also targeted key roads including GT Road in Attock Bridge, Khushalgarh in Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan roads leading to Punjab. The blockades effectively isolated KP from Punjab, a major source of products such as flour, rice and pulses.
