TTAP sit-in continues for 5th day as opposition alliance mulls future course of action

ISLAMABAD: As the TTAP’s sit-in continued for the fifth day after the blocked routes to Parliament House were cleared, the alliance expressed hope on Tuesday that at least one family member of the incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan or a party leader would be allowed to meet him today.

The opposition on Monday decided to extend their sit-in, which began on Friday, for another day to “see the government’s response” to their demand for access to the former premier, whose health has recently been called into question by a medical report following his examination at the Adiala jail on Sunday.

At around 5pm, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said the sit-in at Parliament House was continuing.

In the afternoon, an X account of the PTI said that the vehicle carrying Imran’s sisters was stopped at the Chakri Interchange while on its way to the Adiala jail.

Earlier in the day, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmed Yousafzai had told Dawn that as Tuesday was supposed to be a meeting day with Imran, two of the sit-in participants — Salman Akram Raja and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan — would be going to Adiala jail, as their names had been included in the list of those to meet the PTI founder.

“Moreover, we are hoping that the meeting of all sisters or at least one of the family members will be allowed today,” he said. “It will end the rumours about the health of Imran Khan, as they will directly hear from him and will share Khan sahib’s views regarding his health.”

Responding to a question, Yousufzai said that the government should allow the meeting as it may help defuse the current tensions if the medical report regarding Imran was correct.

“It is a fact that during the last two years we have been deceived a number of times, due to which the level of trust has been reduced,” he said.

The spokesperson added that the family needed to meet Imran, after which the three sisters would hold a press conference.

The spokesperson further said he met Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi last night, where it was decided to hold an evening meeting to determine the next course of action.

Meanwhile, CM Afridi and MPAs continued their demonstration outside the KP House in Islamabad.

Imran’s family and associates had been barred from visiting him for several weeks until the Supreme Court’s (SC) intervention last week led to PTI lawyer Salman Safdar being allowed to visit him. Following his visit, he submitted a report to the SC, which quoted Imran as saying only 15 per cent vision was left in his right eye.

This prompted a strong response from the opposition alliance, which began a sit-in at the Parliament House for the fulfilment of its demands for Imran’s treatment and examination.

Imran’s party, family ‘reject’ medical report

Imran’s party and family have rejected the report issued by a team of doctors who examined the jailed ex-premier on Sunday, sticking to their demand that he be taken to Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital in the presence of his personal doctors.

In a post on X, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram referred to the statement by Imran’s longtime personal physician Dr Aasim Yusuf, who had spoken to the doctors currently treating the ex-prime minister.

Akram noted that Dr Yusuf said “that he neither met Khan nor could he talk to him nor could he examine him or take care of him, therefore he can neither confirm nor deny” the report prepared.

He stated that the PTI “rejects this report and strongly demands that Imran Khan sahib be immediately met by his family and personal physician and that he be immediately treated and examined at Al-Shifa International”.

“To issue such a report by having doctors of one’s choice examine him shows that something is definitely being hidden and the only solution to avoid all this is to immediately have Imran Khan examined at Shifa International on the recommendation of his family and personal physician,” Akram contended.

In her statement posted hours earlier, Imran’s sister Aleema Khanum also said: “We categorically REJECT all the medical reports circulating in the media regarding Imran Khan.”

“[…] as Dr Asim Yousuf stated in his video, there is NO way for us to verify any of this,” she highlighted.

“Now we are even more concerned and worried and our demand remains unchanged: Imran Khan must be urgently transferred to a proper medical facility (Shifa International Hospital Islamabad) where he shall be examined by qualified specialists under Dr Asim Yousuf’s supervision and in the presence of his family,” Aleema demanded.

She added that she and others will be at the Adiala jail at 1:30pm today to attempt to meet Imran.

“We expect the authorities to allow us to meet Imran Khan as this is his legal right. The family will also hold a press conference outside Adiala at 4pm after our meeting with Imran Khan,” the sister said.