ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) along with its allies continued their sit-in for a second day on Saturday, demanding immediate hospitalisation and specialised treatment for jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, whose deteriorating eyesight has sparked nationwide concern.
The protests, which began on Friday after prayers, are being staged outside Parliament House and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.
Participants insist that Khan be transferred to Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad for urgent treatment, citing reports that his right eye has only 15 per cent vision remaining.
The sit-ins are being led by Tehreek-e-Tahffuz-e-Aayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who is also opposition leader in the National Assembly, along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.
Two parallel demonstrations are underway, with Achakzai’s group occupying the lobby of Parliament House, while Afridi’s supporters remain inside KP House.
Police have surrounded both sites, restricting access to roads, banning food for protesters, and deploying two prison vans outside KP House.
Police personnel deployed outside KP House are arresting anyone attempting to leave the premises.
On Saturday morning, three women activists of PTI who tried to exit KP House were rounded up by police and taken into custody, escalating tensions at the sit-in site.
In a video posted on X, the opposition leader in Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas described Parliament House as having been “turned into a prison.”
“We have been inside Parliament since yesterday [Friday]. We wanted to go outside, but all the gates were closed. We are not armed. We are standing here with nothing but our ethics and the strength of the truth,” he added.
He emphasised that Khan, like any other prisoner, retains fundamental rights, adding that “90 per cent” of Pakistanis, both within the country and abroad, were expressing concern over his health.
PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja echoed these sentiments, alleging that Parliament House, Parliament Lodges, and KP House had effectively become “jails” for opposition leaders.
Fellow PTI leaders, including former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram, criticised the authorities for denying protesters food and other basic necessities. Akram said that opposition leaders had remained “trapped and exhausted from hunger” overnight.
Shandana Gulzar, a PTI leader, criticised the Supreme Court for granting four days for Khan to be examined by doctors.
She questioned whether such a delay would have been acceptable if the patient had been the chief justice’s daughter or former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
Gulzar alleged that the government was waiting for further damage to Khan’s eyesight before taking action.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) spokesperson Aslam Ghauri condemned the treatment of the sit-in participants, describing the dragging of MPs and provincial assembly members into the premises as “violence” and an affront to democratic norms.
At a press conference at the National Press Club, TTAP leaders Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, ex-senator Mushtaq Ahmad, and Dr Zafar Mirza of Awaam Pakistan urged the government to de-escalate the situation.
They demanded that Khan be immediately transferred to hospital under medical supervision and that his family be granted access.
Khokhar also claimed being denied food inside Parliament House, describing the measures as unjust and arbitrary.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Afridi, leading the sit-in inside KP House, called for nationwide protests to remain peaceful.
In posts on X, he stressed that Khan’s health was paramount, warning that provocateurs could attempt to manipulate the demonstrations. Afridi urged participants to remain vigilant and calm while supporting the movement.
Members of Khan’s family have also criticised the Supreme Court for inaction. His sister Aleema Khan claimed that lawyers had waited for written orders on Thursday and Friday without success.
She alleged that Chief Justice Yahya Afridi had prioritised attending a jeep rally in Cholistan over issuing urgent medical directives for Khan, leaving treatment pending until the court reconvenes on Monday.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, however, maintained that Khan’s medical needs were being addressed.
In a post on X, he said, “Further check-up and treatment will be carried out in a specialised medical facility by the best eye specialists. A detailed report thereof will also be submitted to the Supreme Court.” He urged that the matter not be politicised for “vested interests.”
The protests show no sign of abating, with TTAP and PTI leaders vowing to continue their demonstrations until Khan is granted immediate hospital treatment.
Roads around the protest sites remain sealed, security forces maintain a heavy presence, and participants report severe restrictions on movement and access to food.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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