Opposition announces sit-in outside Parliament until meeting with Imran Khan is allowed

ISLAMABAD:

The opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) announced on Thursday that it would hold a sit-in outside Parliament House until it met Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and ensured his treatment after his alleged loss of vision came to light.

The Supreme Court has been informed that only 15% of Imran’s vision remains in his right eye. The information was conveyed to the high court by PTI lawyer Salman Safdar, who quoted the former prime minister as saying that he had been left with only 15% vision in his right eye due to medical complications.

The event sparked an outcry from opposition ranks, who criticized the government for allowing Imran’s health to deteriorate to this level.

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Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, told the media that all opposition parties had decided that after Friday prayers all lawmakers would hold a sit-in in front of Parliament.

“Our demand is that Imran Khan be given immediate access to the doctors he trusts. Imran Khan was treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) by a doctor who is not a specialist in the required field. Eye problems are very sensitive. If vision is lost, it can also lead to infections, along with fever and headaches,” Abbas said.

An important meeting of the TTAP was also held in Islamabad, attended by leaders of the opposition alliance. The meeting, chaired by Achakzai, focused on the Khan’s health situation and future strategy.

The meeting was attended by prominent figures including PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, Raja Nasir Abbas, Asad Qaiser and Ali Amin Gandapur. Special invitations were extended to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman during the meeting.

Also read: Imran Khan’s right eye has 15% vision, SC report details jail conditions

Imran has been jailed since August 2023 and is currently serving a sentence in Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. In addition, he faces pending lawsuits under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests on May 9, 2023. The party has expressed concern in recent days about Imran’s health and demanded treatment from its own team of doctors.

Raja Nasir to write to foreign bodies about Imran’s health

Earlier, Raja Nasir Abbas, during a Senate session, expressed serious concern over Khan’s deteriorating health, accusing the authorities of failing to provide timely and effective medical care.

In his speech, Abbas said Khan’s vision has been severely affected, with his right eye functioning at only 15 percent of its capacity after a medical procedure at Islamabad’s PIMS hospital earlier this month. He regretted that adequate treatment had not been provided and highlighted the continued denial of health services to Khan.

He added that if Khan had been allowed to meet his family regularly and if the medical examinations had been carried out transparently and the reports made public, the situation might not have reached this point.

The opposition leader stressed that the State is responsible for the health and safety of any detained person. “Political differences aside, depriving someone of basic human rights and healthcare is unacceptable in any civilized society,” he observed.

He condemned the delay in treatment, the withholding of information and the restriction of access to families, calling these actions inhumane and a violation of constitutional and legal duties.

Abbas announced that he would send a full report, including evidence and a timeline, to domestic and international human rights organizations, as well as foreign diplomats stationed in Pakistan, in a bid to draw attention to the issue.

Read more: SC orders access to personal doctors, phone calls for Imran Khan in Adiala jail

“We demand that an independent and transparent medical board be immediately formed, that complete medical records be made public and that those responsible be held accountable before the law,” he said.

He further stressed that this issue did not refer only to an individual but to broader principles. “If this can happen to a former prime minister and a popular public leader, what about the rights of an ordinary citizen?” asked.

Abbas concluded by calling for immediate action to resolve the matter, stressing that it was essential to uphold justice, transparency and human dignity so that no prisoner ever faces such a situation again.