TTAP ends Parliament protest, raises concern over Imran Khan’s health

ISLAMABAD:

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 Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan (TTAP) outside Parliament would be ended when the holy month begins while the party decides its next course of action.

He said the demonstration had been staged to prevent what he described as government negligence and unconstitutional actions, and claimed that parliament had been effectively closed, opposition members arrested and peaceful protests curtailed.

Regarding 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, although concerns remained and continued monitoring was required. He added that the condition had previously been critical.

The Senate Opposition Leader also slammed prison authorities for alleged negligence and said legal action was being pursued. He further stressed that family members and doctors should have access to the PTI founder and expressed hope for his full recovery.

Read: TTAP to hold sit-in outside parliament until meeting with Imran is allowed after revelation of sight loss

A day earlier, TTAP had announced to continue the sit-in until a meeting with the PTI founder and his treatment was secured after his reported sight 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 disclosed to the apex court by PTI’s counsel, Advocate Salman Safdar, who quoted the former prime minister as saying that he had been left with only 15 per cent. vision in his right eye after medical complications.

The development caused an outcry from opposition ranks, who criticized 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 Parliament House tomorrow. We will present our demands during the sit-in and it will continue until our demands are met. If anything goes wrong in accepting these demands, the government will be responsible”.

Read more: Mohsin Naqvi did more than anyone else to secure Imran Khan’s release, Gandapur claims

Meanwhile, former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur claimed that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had made more efforts than anyone else to secure the release of the PTI founder.

Imran, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2023 following convictions he and the PTI call politically motivated. Since his ouster in 2022 in a vote of no confidence, he has faced several cases, including over state gifts and an illegal marriage. Some sentences have been suspended or overturned pending appeals. He pleads not guilty.

Naqvi has been a frequent subject of criticism from Imran and his party amid their tribulations and challenges.

However, during an interview regarding Nadeem Malik Live on a private television broadcast, 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 a strong effort to solve the problem. He made more efforts than anyone else to secure Imran Khan’s release.”

Read more: SC orders access to personal doctors, phone calls to Imran Khan in Adiala jail

Raja Nasir to write to foreign bodies about Imran’s health

Earlier, during a Senate session, Abbas raised serious concerns over Imran’s deteriorating health and accused the authorities of failing to provide timely and effective medical care.

In his speech, Abbas said Imran’s vision has been severely affected, with his right eye functioning at only 15 percent following a medical procedure at Islamabad’s PIMS hospital earlier this month. He expressed regret that proper treatment was not provided and highlighted the ongoing denial of healthcare to Imran.

He added that if Imran had been allowed regular meetings with his family and if medical examinations had been conducted in a transparent manner with reports made public, the situation might not have escalated to this point.