PNN: Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Wednesday announced the end of a sit-in protest outside parliament with the start of Ramadan, while expressing continued concerns over the health of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan.
Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Abbas said the protest by the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) outside Parliament would be wrapped up as the holy month begins, while the party determines its next course of action.
Abbas said the sit-in was organised to prevent what he described as government negligence and unconstitutional actions. He stated that Parliament had effectively been turned into a “jail,” with lawmakers confined inside the House, members’ lodges and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa House. He further claimed that cases, including terrorism charges, were registered against lawmakers and that peaceful protests were obstructed.
Turning to Khan’s health, Abbas said a medical report had been submitted to the court and confirmed that there had been some improvement in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s eyesight, though concerns remain and continued monitoring is required. He added that the condition had earlier been critical.
The Senate opposition leader also criticised jail authorities for alleged negligence and said legal action was being pursued. He further stressed that family members and medical professionals should be granted access to the PTI founder and expressed hope for his full recovery.
Abbas called for specialist treatment at Shifa International Hospital and demanded that family members and doctors be allowed access to ensure transparency and satisfaction.
He said doctors, including Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Asim, should be granted access, and confirmed that a message had been conveyed seeking a medical consultation. “Even slight improvement makes us happy, and we pray for his full recovery,” he added.
A day earlier, TTAP had announced to continue the sit-in until a meeting with PTI founder and his treatment was ensured after his reported vision loss 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 apex court by PTI counsel Advocate Salman Safdar, who quoted the former premier as saying that he had been left with only 15pc vision in his right eye following medical complications.
The development caused an outcry from the opposition ranks, who slammed the government for allowing Imran’s health to deteriorate to this level.
In a post on X, TTAP chief and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, said: “A peaceful protest sit-in will begin outside the Parliament House tomorrow. We will present our demands during the sit-in, and it will continue until our demands are met. If something goes wrong in accepting these demands, the government will be responsible”.
Meanwhile, former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had made more efforts than anyone to secure the release of PTI founder.
Naqvi has been a frequent subject of criticism from Imran and his party amid their tribulations and challenges.
However, during an interview on Nadeem Malik Live on a private broadcaster, Gandapur said: “No one else made the same level of effort. I have said this before, within the party, and now I am saying it on air: Mohsin Naqvi made vigorous efforts to resolve the issue. He made more efforts than anyone else to ensure Imran Khan’s release.”
Imran, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 after convictions he and the PTI call politically motivated. Since his 2022 ouster in a no-confidence vote, he has faced multiple cases, including over state gifts and an unlawful marriage. Some convictions have been suspended or overturned, with appeals pending. He denies wrongdoing.