PTI-government rift deepens as sit-in over Imran Khan continues

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf – (Web Desk) – The sit-in by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aiyeen Pakistan (TTAP) over Imran Khan’s health entered its sixth day on Wednesday, as tensions between the PTI and the government continued to grow.

The multi-party alliance decided to continue the protest at Parliament House after the former prime minister renewed his demand to see his personal doctor. The decision came during a TTAP meeting at Parliament House, led by National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, where participants resolved to maintain the sit-in until Imran Khan’s family and personal physicians are allowed access to him at Adiala Jail.

Some PTI members suggested ending the protest after reviewing the medical report, while others supported continuing the sit-in. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for Wednesday to decide the next steps.

The protest, which began on February 13 at Parliament House and KP House in Islamabad, calls for Imran Khan to be shifted to a hospital for treatment of his eye condition. The former prime minister has claimed he has lost about 85% of vision in his right eye.

In response, the government set up a medical board to examine and treat him in prison. However, Imran Khan’s family and party rejected the board’s findings, insisting that his personal doctors and family be present during treatment.

Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rejected Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s accusation that the party is politicizing the matter. “The PTI is not politicizing Imran Khan’s health. Our only request is that family members or his personal physician be allowed access, and that he be shifted to a hospital for proper treatment,” he said.

Barrister Gohar added that party representatives did not take part in the recent medical review because they preferred a hospital transfer. He also noted that restrictions on meetings had complicated the situation further.

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Naqvi, during a press conference on Tuesday, detailed the meeting between doctors who examined the PTI founder in Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, and Imran’s medical team, as well as PTI leaders, following which the latter “expressed” satisfaction with the medical progress.

“But all I can tell you is that Aleema Khan sahiba told her party that if we accept this, the issue will die down. Due to her, the medical check-up could not be conducted for three days,” he said.

Barrister Salman Akram Raja said that according to a report submitted by Barrister Salman Safdar, there is an issue with Imran’s right eye, whereas the official medical report claimed that his condition has improved.

He questioned why Dr Asim Yousaf, the PTI founder’s personal physician, was not being allowed access. Raja said that once the personal doctor is permitted to examine him, the true condition will become clear.

The recent tensions between the government and PTI came after last month’s confirmation that Imran underwent a medical procedure for his eye at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

The former prime minister was diagnosed with a serious eye disorder called central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), a condition that primarily affects older adults and is associated with underlying cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease.

Pims Executive Director Rana Imran Sikandar later confirmed that a team of senior doctors evaluated Imran’s condition before discharging him.

Providing details of the treatment, Dr Sikandar stated that Imran underwent a specialised medical procedure after doctors identified a vision-related condition in his right eye.

He explained that the procedure was carried out in a sterile operating theatre under close supervision and was successfully completed in approximately 20 minutes.

According to a report submitted to the Supreme Court, the PTI founder indicated that his right eye now retains only 15% vision.

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“According to the petitioner [Imran], he was diagnosed with a blood clot that caused significant damage, and despite the treatment provided — including an injection — he has been left with only 15% vision in his right eye,” noted a seven-page report submitted by PTI counsel Salman Safdar, who was appointed as “friend of the court” following his visit to Adiala Jail.