Opposition parties announce sit-in outside parliament over PTI founder’s health

ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties have announced a sit-in outside Parliament House over concerns regarding the health and medical treatment of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, following a meeting of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan, ARY News reported.

According to reports, the decision was taken during a session attended by leaders of several opposition groups, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazal ur Rehman. Participants agreed to stage the protest over concerns regarding the health of the PTI founder, Imran Khan.

According to the announcement, opposition lawmakers have been directed to gather outside Parliament on Friday. Leaders said the sit-in would continue until the PTI founder is shifted to a hospital.

Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas stated that the demonstration would begin after Friday prayers and continue outside Parliament House. He reiterated that the protest would remain in place until their demands regarding medical care are met.

Separately, PTI leader Junaid Akbar instructed all members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to reach Islamabad’s D-Chowk on Friday to participate in the protest.

Salman Safdar’s Report On Imran Khan

Earlier, a report submitted by Barrister Salman Safdar to the court was made public after he visited Adiala jail for a meeting with the Imran Khan. Safdar recommended an immediate examination of the eyes of the party’s founder.

“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has demanded examination of his eyes by Dr. Faisal Sultan and Asim Yousuf,” a detailed report of seven pages submitted by Salman Safdar to the court read.

It has been recommended in the report that the PTI founder’s eyes could also been examined by an expert ophthalmologist.

The lawyer also recommended providing books to the party’s founder due to his solitary confinement and lack of access to a television set.

“His treatment was started after a sudden and complete loss of his sight of the right eye,” according to the report. “PTI founder has said that he could only see 10 to 15 percent”.

“The jail officials didn’t take it seriously when the eyesight issue of the PTI leader started during the last three months,” the report read. “They didn’t try to address the health condition”, Barrister Salman Safdar said in his report to the court.

“His eyesight of both eyes was normal, three to four months ago,” the PTI leader told the visiting lawyer. “He felt blurredness of eyes later and he repeatedly complained to the Jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum,” according to the report.

“The jail officials didn’t take any step to address the complaint, the right eyesight went off completely,” report read.

“Later, the PIMS ophthalmologist Dr Muhammad Arif, examined his eyes. The eyesight of his right eye remained only up to 15 percent,” Salman Safdar said in his report.

It is worth noting that the Supreme Court had ordered arrangements for Salman Safdar to meet the PTI founder in jail. The court granted Barrister Salman Safdar permission to meet him and appointed him ‘a friend of the court’.

The court directed Barrister Safdar to visit Adiala Jail in his capacity as a judicial representative and commissioner. He was instructed to submit a detailed written report regarding Imran Khan’s current condition in custody, the facilities available to him, and his living conditions inside the prison.

The Chief Justice issued clear instructions that Safdar should not be made to wait outside the jail and that no obstacles should be placed in the way of the meeting. In case of any difficulty, he was directed to immediately contact the Chief Justice’s personal staff officer.