Urgent eye treatment: TTAP stages sit-in, demands govt send IK to hospital

ISLAMABAD: In a bold show of defiance, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP), a key opposition coalition, staged a sit-in on Friday, demanding the immediate transfer of former prime minister Imran Khan to a medical facility for urgent eye treatment.

Khan, who remains incarcerated, is suffering from a severe infection in his right eye, which threatens his vision and requires urgent medical intervention. Reports indicate that he has already lost 85 percent of his eyesight.

The protest was spearheaded by TTAP Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, also the opposition leader in the National Assembly, with a significant turnout from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPs and their allies.

They vowed to continue the demonstration until Khan is transferred to the Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital in Rawalpindi, one of the country’s premier eye-care institutions.

Protesters were adamant that Khan’s health could not be compromised, reaffirming their commitment to ensuring he receives the necessary medical attention.

Despite police barricades blocking the main entrance to Parliament House, a number of PTI MPs, including former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, managed to reach the protest site.

Qaiser strongly condemned the government’s delay in Khan’s transfer, warning of severe consequences if the issue was not addressed immediately.

“If there’s any further delay, we will have no choice but to take to the streets,” he declared, demanding that Khan be swiftly moved to Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital.

While Achakzai stressed that the protest would remain peaceful, he warned of escalating action if Khan’s personal physician and family were denied access to him.

“I was earlier told that Khan’s health was improving, but we insist that he be treated by competent doctors in the country,” he said.

Barrister Gohar, acting PTI chairman, lambasted the government’s attempts to stifle the protest, accusing authorities of employing a “fascist approach.”

He warned that if Khan’s medical needs continued to be ignored, protests would intensify. “If the situation escalates, the government will not be able to control it,” he said.

Mustafa Nawaz Khokar of TTAP accused the government of disregarding opposition concerns about Khan’s health, labelling the police blockades as a sign of weakness rather than authority.

Protesters also called on the Supreme Court to issue orders ensuring Khan’s treatment under the supervision of his personal doctors at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, stressing that the issue was a matter of life and health, not politics.

Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, expressed frustration over the delay in obtaining written orders from the Supreme Court for his medical care. “Given the risk to his eyesight, why has the Chief Justice of Pakistan delayed issuing the written orders?” she asked.

The protest gained further momentum when Awaam Pakistan, a political party led by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Miftah Ismail, joined the demonstration.

The party condemned the government’s failure to provide timely medical attention to Khan, calling the denial of care “immoral, inhumane, and illegal.”

In a tense standoff, police sealed off the gates of Parliament Lodges, preventing PTI MPs from joining the protest outside Parliament House. Several TTAP members were similarly blocked from reaching the site due to police barricades.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, accompanied by a large number of PTI MPAs, was stopped by Islamabad police en route to the protest.

In response, Afridi and PTI MPs staged a protest outside Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House. During the incident, a police officer was seen dragging Shafi Jan, adviser to the KP chief minister on information, by the collar.

In another dramatic moment, MNA Shahid Khattak, MPA Mina Khan Afridi, and several PTI MPs, including the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, were subjected to a police baton charge while holding a peaceful protest outside the KP House.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026