Sit-in enters fifth day as PTI insists on access to Imran Khan

Senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have said that their sit-in will continue as concerns persist over former prime minister Imran Khan’s medical condition, particularly regarding his eyesight, amid sustained political tensions that showed no sign of easing.

The protest, led by parliamentary figures from the PTI and members of the opposition alliance, the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), entered its fifth day on Tuesday.

Speaking outside the KP House in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said the party’s demands had been misrepresented.

He rejected suggestions that the Imran Khan-founded party was seeking a medical report, insisting their core demand was straightforward: that the PTI founder be allowed to consult his personal physician and meet family members.

“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 the Shifa International Hospital.”

He said that none of these demands was accepted. “If the government is not allowing his personal doctor to see him, then what is it trying to hide?” he asked, arguing that the party's demands were neither unconstitutional nor unlawful.

Afridi maintained that it was the legal and constitutional right of the former prime minister to receive treatment from a physician of his choice.

Responding to a question, the KP chief minister said, "The TTAP leaders — Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas — have the authority to make decisions in the PTI as they have been mandated by the party's founder."

Replying to another query regarding the ongoing protests across the KP province, the chief minister said those protests were being organised independently by members of the public.

He further said that Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, should not be drawn into political matters, describing her as unrelated to party affairs.

Alliance decides to continue the sit-in

Meanwhile, the opposition alliance held consultations at the Parliament House and decided to continue the sit-in until one of its office-bearers is allowed to meet jailed Imran.

Speaking to the media, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said the protest should continue until at least one party representative is granted a meeting with the former prime minister. “Until our office-bearer is allowed to meet him, the sit-in must go on,” he announced.

Opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai echoed the position, stating simply that the protest would remain in place.

PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party would stand its ground for the sit-in until one of its officials is permitted to see its founder.

Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser told the media that opposition lawmakers had been briefed during a meeting earlier in the day by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar. He said consultations with the party’s central leadership were underway.

Qaiser stressed that the opposition’s principal demand was to allow Imran access to his personal physician. “If our demands are not accepted, the sit-in will continue,” he said.

Former KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur also confirmed that the PTI leaders would also maintain their protest outside KP House in Islamabad.

Govt accuses opposition of sensationalising the issue

The opposition alliance has framed its protest as a matter of legal and constitutional rights, insisting that Imran must be allowed to consult the doctor of his choosing and meet party representatives. The government, for its part, maintains that appropriate medical care has already been provided.

With both sides holding firm, the political impasse appears set to continue in the coming days as the government has rejected accusations of withholding medical care. 

Talking to the media in London, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the authorities had fulfilled their responsibility by ensuring healthcare was provided to the incarcerated former premier.

Medical experts had examined Imran, Tarar said, adding that the party representatives had been briefed on his condition. He accused the PTI of creating unnecessary alarm over the eye issue.

Imran's sons fear for his health

Imran's sons said they fear for their father's deteriorating health in the Adiala jail and are seeking permission to visit him, urging authorities to grant access after more than two years apart.

Speaking to Reuters in London, where they are based, Imran's sons, Kasim and Sulaiman, 26 and 29, said they were uncertain about the medical report. They spoke to their father on Thursday for the first time since September.

They said their father usually avoids discussing his health, but during the call, he expressed frustration, saying he had been denied treatment for his eye for a few months.

"It's hard not to feel low at times because we've been away from him so long," Kasim said of his father, whom he and his brother call Abba, adding that he should be moved to a proper medical facility and have access to his private doctors.

They have not seen their father since November 2022, after he survived an assassination attempt. They said they applied for visas last month but have yet to receive a response.

Jailed since August 2023

Imran, 73, has been jailed since August 2023 after convictions he and his 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.

PTI swept to power in 2018 and retains a large support base across key provinces.

For four days, PTI supporters have blocked major highways linking KP to Punjab, stranding thousands of vehicles and affecting fuel and food supplies in some areas.