TTAP begins sit-in outside Parliament, seeks Imran Khan’s transfer to Al-Shifa hospital

ISLAMABAD:

The Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) has staged a sit-in outside Parliament House on Friday, vowing to continue the protest until Imran Khan is admitted to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital.

Taking to X, the TTAP said no compromise would be made on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s health, adding that all parliamentarians of PTI would participate in the sit-in outside Parliament.

Security was tightened in and around Parliament House ahead of the protest.

Police deployed a heavy contingent at the gates, with the main entrance reportedly closed to prevent unauthorised entry, while armoured vehicles were stationed nearby.

Islamabad’s Red Zone was reportedly sealed off, with Constitution Avenue blocked at Radio Pakistan Chowk.

The protest follows submissions made to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, where Advocate Salman Safdar informed the court—citing a report commissioned by the bench—that only 15% vision remained in Imran Khan’s right eye.

The lawyer quoted the former prime minister as saying the loss followed medical complications in custody, sparking sharp criticism from opposition parties, who accused the government of allowing his health to deteriorate.

“The government has cordoned off all roads leading to the Parliament. Gates of parliamentary lodges have been shut trapping MNA’s and Senators inside,” Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said in his post on X.

Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi also said police closed the main doors of the Parliament lounges as the group walked towards Parliament House.

TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai said the protest would remain peaceful. Speaking to reporters, he said Imran should be allowed to meet his personal physician and family. Earlier, the TTAP chief had questioned why Imran cannot be shifted to Al-Shifa Eye Trust. “They are not asking for him to be sent abroad on medical grounds; they are demanding treatment within the country.”

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry addressed concerns over Imran’s eye condition, saying the matter should not be politicised and that appropriate medical care was being provided in line with medical advice.

Speaking to the media outside Parliament on Friday, he said Imran had complained of an eye problem earlier and that any negligence, if proven, would carry responsibility.

He added that during a meeting with Imran’s sister in October, she had told the media that his health was good, and again expressed satisfaction over his condition on December 2. He said Imran did not even mention any eye issue until mid-January. 

The minister said that on January 16, Imran formally complained of eye discomfort, after which jail authorities transferred him to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in accordance with medical requirements so his eye could be treated at a hospital.

He added that an experienced eye specialist had prepared a medical report and that the medical assessment would be compiled again.

Chaudhry said Imran would undergo medical examinations wherever recommended by doctors. “If there is a need to send him to any doctor at Al-Shifa Eye Trust Hospital, he will be sent,” he said.

Recalling events in January, he said that on January 16, it was recommended by a doctor that Imran be shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for an eye checkup. He added that it is also on record that he was not shifted at the request of PTI, but by the jail authorities and the government.

Chaudhry noted that following Imran’s procedure on January 24, a medical report was issued by the doctors, “and then there is a ‘report’ by the lawyer,” referring to PTI counsel Advocate Salman Safdar’s submission to the Supreme Court. He added that a new medical report would be issued soon. “The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi is himself looking after the case,” the minister concluded.

Addressing CJP Afridi in a post on X, the PTI said it required require formal written directions to ensure that Imran was examined by specialists and treated under the supervision of his own doctors at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital. “Issue and release the written orders, Imran Khan needs urgent eyes treatment. This is not politics, this is not about power. This is about Imran Khan’s life!”

Separately, Aleema Khan questioned why the written order of the Supreme Court had still not been received. “It is 1pm on Friday, and we have still not received the written order from the Supreme Court,” she said.

She said formal written directions were required to ensure that Imran Khan is examined by specialists and treated under the supervision of his own doctors at Shifa International Hospital. “Given the urgency and the risk to his eyesight, why has the CJP delayed issuing the written orders?” she added.

In a separate media interaction, the JUI-F chief also called for full medical facilities to be provided to the PTI founder in prison. “On humanitarian grounds, he should be allowed to be examined by his preferred doctor,” he said. “Politics should not be turned into enmity; collective survival demands cooperation.”

Earlier, TTAP had said the leadership of Awaam Pakistan will participate in a sit-in outside Parliament House on Friday, demanding access to Imran and assurances over his medical treatment following reports of serious vision loss.

In a statement posted on X on Friday, it said party leaders Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail attended a TTAP meeting late on Thursday, where they decided to join the peaceful protest.

“Denying any prisoner timely and appropriate medical care is immoral, inhumane, and illegal,” the TTAP statement said, noting that Imran is both a former prime minister and the leader of the country’s largest political party.

On Thursday, Achakzai announced the protest stating: “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.”

Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. In addition, he faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the protests of May 9, 2023. The party has expressed concern in recent days over Imran’s health and demanded treatment by his own team of doctors.