ISLAMABAD: The main opposition alliance on Wednesday called off its sit-in at Parliament House over concerns about former prime minister Imran Khan’s health, citing the approaching holy month of Ramazan. Leaders of the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Aain Pakistan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf announced the decision while speaking to reporters in Islamabad.
TTAP leader Raja Nasir Abbas said the alliance ended the protest after considering Ramazan and the difficulties faced by participants. He claimed demonstrators were effectively confined during the sit-in, alleging that Parliament House, members’ lodges, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House had been blocked. Moreover, he accused authorities of registering legal cases against opposition leaders and workers during the protest.
Abbas said the sit-in aimed to highlight concerns about the PTI founder’s health and to demand access for his personal doctors. He added that the alliance had taken the matter to court to secure permission for medical examinations. According to him, protesters attempting to leave Parliament found exits blocked, which he described as turning the premises into a “prison.”
KP chief minister calls for firm negotiations
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi said Mahmood Achakzai and Allama Nasir Abbas had led the protest and negotiations. He added that the provincial leadership respected the decision to end the sit-in after its formal announcement.
Afridi also said people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had organised protests independently without government support. However, he stressed that any progress regarding Khan’s medical situation would require persistence and firm negotiations, adding that meaningful concessions would not come easily.
