ISLAMABAD (MNN); Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry has announced that the government has decided to shift PTI founder Imran Khan to a hospital in view of his health condition, as opposition lawmakers continue their sit-in outside Parliament House over concerns about the former premier’s eyesight.
In a statement on X, Chaudhry said Imran Khan had been facilitated with a phone conversation with his sons and that, considering his medical condition, the government had decided to move him to a hospital and constitute a medical board for his treatment. He stressed that the government was acting in line with humanitarian considerations and legal obligations, adding that every prisoner must be provided facilities according to the law.
The minister urged the PTI to refrain from politicising a sensitive health matter and avoid what he termed baseless propaganda and political point-scoring. He said the government was fulfilling its responsibilities and called for seriousness and tolerance on a national issue.
Earlier, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that Imran Khan’s ongoing eye treatment would continue at a specialised medical institution under the supervision of leading eye specialists. He added that a detailed medical report would be submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan and appealed to all sides to avoid speculation and attempts to use the matter for political mileage.
Opposition Sit-In Enters Second Day
The development comes as lawmakers from PTI and the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) continued their sit-in for a second consecutive day at Parliament House and KP House in Islamabad, demanding that Imran Khan be immediately transferred to Shifa International Hospital.
The protest was launched after the Supreme Court was informed that Imran Khan’s right eye had only 15 per cent vision remaining, triggering strong reactions from his party.
The sit-in is being led by TTAP Chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai along with senior PTI leaders including Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Senator Ali Zafar, Asad Qaiser and Junaid Akbar.
Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said the protest would not be called off until Imran Khan was shifted to Shifa International Hospital and a family physician was included in the medical board. He termed it unprecedented that Parliament had effectively been locked down.
TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Yousufzai said shifting Imran Khan to hospital was a matter of principle and rejected any move to transfer him to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS). He reiterated the demand for inclusion of a family doctor in the medical board.
However, some opposition leaders expressed mistrust over the government’s assurances, saying they would wait for concrete action before ending the protest.
TTAP Chairman Achakzai stated on X that the sit-in would continue until Imran Khan received treatment from eye specialists in the presence of his family and personal physician.
PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said they had been informed that Imran Khan had spoken to his sons and that there was willingness to move him to Shifa Hospital. He questioned the delay, suggesting it was linked to the anger of party workers.
Parliament ‘Turned Into a Prison’
Opposition leaders alleged that Parliament House had been turned into a virtual prison. Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said lawmakers had been inside Parliament since the previous day and were not allowed to leave, while entry points were sealed.
He criticised the situation as condemnable, saying Parliament and its premises had been turned into a prison despite the protesters being unarmed and peaceful. He added that Imran Khan, like any other prisoner, was entitled to legal rights and that a large segment of Pakistanis at home and abroad were concerned about his health.
Salman Akram Raja alleged that Parliament House, Parliament Lodges and KP House had effectively been converted into detention centres, claiming the state feared the opposition taking to the streets.
PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said opposition leaders were trapped inside Parliament House and alleged that police had prevented food from being delivered, leaving participants exhausted and hungry.
According to TTAP leaders, no one was being allowed to enter or leave the premises, and the sit-in would continue until their demands were accepted. It was also claimed that PTI Senator Falak Naz Chitrali had fallen ill during the protest.
PTI leader Shandana Gulzar criticised Chief Justice Yahya Afridi for granting four days for Imran Khan’s medical examination, questioning whether similar timelines would apply in other cases. She alleged that authorities were waiting for further deterioration in Imran Khan’s eye condition and claimed that police had manhandled opposition lawmakers.
JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri condemned what he described as violence against protesters and demanded immediate release of detained leaders. He accused the government of undermining democratic values and warned against spreading unrest across the country.
Call for Dialogue and De-Escalation
At a press conference at the National Press Club, TTAP leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, alongside former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Awaam Pakistan spokesperson Dr Zafar Mirza, urged the government not to escalate tensions. They called for dialogue, respect for democratic norms and immediate transfer of Imran Khan to hospital with family access.
Khokhar claimed he was stopped from taking food into Parliament and described the situation as unjust, alleging that opposition leaders were confined and roads to Parliament Lodges and KP House were blocked.
Journalists Decry Restrictions
The Parliamentary Reporters Association Pakistan (PRAP) condemned alleged mistreatment of journalists covering the sit-in. In a joint statement issued by PRAP President M.B. Soomro and Secretary Naveed Akbar, the association said security personnel had stopped and pushed reporters at the entrance of Parliament House and even attempted to force a senior journalist into a police van.
PRAP termed the restrictions a violation of press freedom and warned that preventing journalists from covering parliamentary proceedings undermined democratic principles and the public’s right to information. The association demanded immediate restoration of unrestricted access for media personnel.
KP Chief Minister Calls for Peace
Separately, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi urged party workers and supporters to remain peaceful. He said Imran Khan’s health was more important than politics and warned that provocateurs could attempt to derail peaceful protests.
Afridi emphasised that the former prime minister’s best possible medical treatment was the top priority and cautioned supporters against believing unverified information not confirmed by Imran Khan’s family or party.
Aleema Khan Criticises Supreme Court
Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khanum, criticised the Supreme Court for not issuing written orders regarding his treatment. She claimed lawyers had waited for formal directives to shift him to Shifa International Hospital for emergency examination by specialist doctors under supervision of his personal physicians.
Aleema alleged that without a clear court order, the government would not provide emergency medical care. She also claimed that the chief justice was on a visit to Punjab and would return on February 16 — the same deadline set for Imran Khan’s examination.
PTI leader Omar Ayub Khan said the courts should have acted in time and demanded immediate access for Imran Khan to qualified doctors at Shifa International Hospital, warning that every moment of delay could prove critical.
As political tensions intensify, the standoff between the government and opposition continues, with the central demand remaining the immediate hospital transfer and specialised treatment of the jailed former prime minister.
