ISLAMABAD: The sit-ins by Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aain-e-Pakistan (TTAP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) entered their fifth day on Tuesday, with demonstrators making it clear that they will not back down until PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan is transferred to Shifa International Hospital for treatment of an eye infection.
The sit-in, held right outside the Parliament House, is being led by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, and Raja Nasir Abbas, the opposition leader in the Senate.
Simultaneously, another protest is under way at the main entrance of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House.
The protest is being closely monitored by a heavy police presence, with additional prison vans stationed nearby. The protesters are demanding that Khan, currently incarcerated, be moved to a medical facility for specialist care after reports indicated a severe deterioration in his vision.
PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told reporters that Khan’s right-eye vision has significantly worsened, and protestors have called for his treatment to be managed ‘in presence of his family and personal doctors’.
“We are demanding transparency and access to Imran Khan. Until we see him with our own eyes, we cannot be certain of his condition,” he asserted, adding the health complications are a direct result of the denial of visitation rights. If we had been allowed to visit, we would know the extent of his recovery.
He said that his party had not dismissed the reports from medical team but insisted on direct observation, saying, “Until we meet him ourselves, we cannot be fully convinced.”
As of now, formal talks with the government have yet to commence, with Achakzai and Abbas retaining full control over the negotiations.
On the issue of blocked roads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gohar expressed regret but clarified that the provincial government had not ordered the closures.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters Chief Minister Afridi voiced his frustration, reiterating that Khan has every right to be treated by his ‘personal’ doctors.
“The stubbornness of the current government is only feeding suspicion and worsening the country’s situation,” he declared. “Our workers are protesting peacefully with a singular demand: that Imran Khan receives proper medical treatment, in the presence of his personal physicians and family.”
Afridi appealed the judiciary to intervene.
He also accused the federal government of interference, stating, “The actions of the Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa suggest that the federal government is behind this crackdown, controlling operations from behind the scenes.”
Despite mounting pressure, Afridi stressed that the opposition did not want to politicise Khan’s health crisis, but would continue to demand action.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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