Highway Blockades and Political Standoff Intensify
The opposition-led sit-in outside Parliament entered its fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders vowing to continue protests until jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan is allowed to consult his personal physician. The demonstration, organized by PTI parliamentary figures and the opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), centers on concerns over Khan’s health, particularly his eyesight.
Core Demands and Government Rejection
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, speaking outside the KP House in Islamabad, clarified the party’s position. He rejected claims that PTI was seeking a government medical report, stating their demands were constitutional and straightforward.
“Our demands did not include any report,” Afridi told reporters. “We asked that he be allowed access to his personal doctor, a family member, an eye specialist and treatment at Shifa International Hospital.” He asserted that none of these requests had been accepted, questioning, “If the government is not allowing his personal doctor to see him, then what is it trying to hide?”
Alliance Vows to Continue Protest
Following consultations at Parliament House, the opposition alliance announced the sit-in would persist until a party representative is permitted to meet Khan. Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas stated, “Until our office-bearer is allowed to meet him, the sit-in must go on.” TTAP leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja echoed this resolve.
Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser emphasized the principal demand remains access to Khan’s chosen doctor. “If our demands are not accepted, the sit-in will continue,” he said.
Widespread Disruption and Government Accusations
The political impasse has triggered significant disruption. PTI supporters blocked the Rashakai Interchange and Swabi Interchange on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway (M-1), diverting traffic to GT Road and causing long vehicle queues. Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani condemned the road closures as a constitutional violation, accusing PTI of “punishing” the province’s residents.
Meanwhile, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, speaking from London, accused PTI of sensationalism. He stated authorities had fulfilled their responsibility by providing healthcare and that medical experts had examined Khan. “The party representatives had been briefed on his condition,” Tarar said, dismissing the alarm over Khan’s eye issue as unnecessary.
Family Concerns and Legal Context
Adding a personal dimension to the crisis, Imran Khan’s sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, expressed fear for their father’s deteriorating health in Adiala Jail. In an interview with Reuters from London, they revealed they had not seen him since November 2022 and have applied for visas to visit. They supported the demand for his access to private doctors.
Khan, 73, has been incarcerated since August 2023 following convictions he and his party deem politically motivated. Despite some sentences being suspended or overturned, he remains jailed with appeals pending, maintaining his innocence.
With the PTI-led opposition holding firm on its demands and the government rejecting accusations of inadequate medical care, the political stalemate shows no signs of abating, threatening further public disruption.
