At Parliament House, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and lawyer Gohar Ali Khan maintained their sit-in that began after Friday prayers. PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday ended its sit-in outside the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) House, with Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and former Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur leaving the protest site.
The adjacent roads were reopened to traffic after the end of the demonstration. The sit-in by PTI members of the National Assembly and senators at the parliamentary chambers has also ended.
But the sit-in of opposition MNAs in Parliament House continues, with National Assembly (NA) Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Senate Opposition Leader Allama Nasir Abbas, former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja still present at the venue.
Read: Opposition sit-in enters third day over Imran Khan’s medical treatment
Addressing the media, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said Achakzai would announce the end of the sit-in. “We are waiting for the founder’s medical report,” he said, adding that whatever the report contained would be made public.
The sit-in is linked to concerns over former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan’s health. On Sunday, a five-member team of specialist doctors conducted a detailed medical examination at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. No PTI leaders were present despite a government offer to allow them to witness the inspection.
Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig said a team of specialists visited the jail with medical equipment, medicines and other supplies to conduct Imran’s eye examination. The review was conducted under the supervision of a two-member medical board, he said.
The opposition lawmakers’ demonstration began on Friday and has continued despite the government’s assurances. Monday marked the fourth day when leaders staged sit-ins outside the Parliament building and KP House, demanding that Imran get urgent medical treatment for his eye ailment.
Lawmakers, led by Achakzai and Abbas, have vowed that the sit-in would not end until Imran is moved to specialist treatment. Protesters have cited reports claiming that the vision in his right eye has significantly deteriorated and has required treatment in the presence of his family and personal doctors.
Read more: PTI protesters block KP highways over IK’s health
Meanwhile, the supply of essential commodities has been disrupted as PTI workers have blocked major highways connecting KP with Punjab over the past four days. This has raised concerns about shortages as Ramazan approaches.
The Peshawar highway remained closed for a third day from the Mardan Rashakai interchange, while the highway at Swabi was also blocked due to protests, a highway police spokesman said. However, the Peshawar-Charsadda highway remained open, with traffic allowed from the Chach and Ghazi interchanges.
The sit-ins have also targeted key routes including GT Road at Attock Bridge, Khushalgarh in Kohat and roads in Dera Ismail Khan leading to Punjab. The blockades have effectively isolated KP from Punjab, a major source of commodities such as flour, rice and pulses.
