Party Leaders Stage Supreme Court Protest Over Alleged Rights Violations
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have made explosive claims that the party’s jailed founder, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, underwent eye surgery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) without his family’s knowledge. The allegations have sparked a major political confrontation, with senior PTI figures gathering outside the Supreme Court to protest what they describe as a denial of fundamental rights.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja told media that government circles “misled the public” about Khan’s health condition for five days. “He was not being provided basic human rights despite being in custody,” Raja asserted outside the Supreme Court, where nearly 200 PTI parliamentarians had gathered.
Family Kept in the Dark, Says KP Chief Minister
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, who joined the protest, stated that Khan’s family was not informed about medical examinations conducted in jail or about his subsequent transfer to PIMS. “The matter reached the point of surgery and transfer to PIMS from Adiala Jail, yet the family was kept completely in the dark,” Afridi claimed.
The KP chief minister further questioned the quality of medical care provided, alleging that PIMS lacks a retina specialist. He accused federal ministers of lying about Khan’s condition for five days and claimed the former prime minister was taken to the hospital “under the cover of darkness.”
Government Acknowledgement and PTI Response
The PTI’s claims come a day after Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that Khan was briefly taken to PIMS where eye specialists examined him. According to Raja, the government only acknowledged the situation on Thursday, after which PTI representatives visited Adiala Jail.
Raja revealed that he and senior lawyer Latif Khosa attempted to meet Chief Justice Yahya Afridi but were unsuccessful as the chief justice was not present in his chambers. They later met with the Supreme Court registrar on the chief justice’s instructions. “The Attorney General has also been informed of the matter,” Raja added.
Ongoing Protest and Political Implications
The PTI has announced plans to maintain their gathering outside the Supreme Court. “We have decided to sit here,” Raja declared, warning that if the PTI founder is denied fundamental rights, “no one’s rights will remain protected.”
The situation highlights ongoing tensions between the PTI and the current administration regarding the treatment of the imprisoned former leader. The party’s allegations of medical secrecy and rights violations add another layer to Pakistan’s complex political landscape, with implications for judicial oversight and prisoner rights standards.
