Authorities sealed Islamabad's Red Zone on Friday, preventing lawmakers from reaching Parliament House amid Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) ongoing sit-in.
The PTI had announced a sit-in outside the building in the high-security zone, protesting the alleged negligence in the treatment of jailed former prime minister and party founder Imran Khan's eye ailment.
Police contingents have been deployed and barriers placed at Radio Pakistan Chowk to stop movement towards Shahrah-e-Dastoor and Parliament House.
The fresh protest comes following a report submitted by PTI counsel Salman Safdar before the Supreme Court regarding his visit to Adiala jail and meeting with the former premier.
The court had appointed Safdar as amicus curiae (friend of the court), directing him to visit Adiala jail and submit a report on February 11, after the former premier informed that he had been left with only 15% vision in his right eye.
Speaking to the media outside the Parliament House, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said he had "barely managed" to reach the building.
"Parliamentarians are being stopped; I somehow managed to reach parliament," he said, adding that the party's sit-in has begun.
Barrister Gohar warned that if the party was not allowed to hold its protest at the designated site, demonstrations would be staged across the country. "We want to steer matters in the right direction. If the situation slips from our hands, the government will not be able to control it," he warned.
The PTI chief further said that the party founder had authorised Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to lead the protest.
Speaking to the media, Achakzai said the sit-in would remain peaceful, urging that the PTI founder's personal physician and family should be allowed to meet him.
"Earlier, I was told that the PTI founder's health was better. We want him to be treated by competent doctors available in the country," Achakzai said.
Meanwhile, police shut the gates of the Parliament Lodges as PTI parliamentarians attempted to leave to participate in the sit-in.
Addressing the sit-in, Achakzai demanded that the PTI founder be moved to a hospital of his choice immediately for medical examination.
He warned that if proper medical arrangements were not made, the ongoing sit-in could escalate further.
"Our biggest demand and point is the PTI founder's health," he said.
Citing the report submitted to the Supreme Court, Achakzai said that Imran's vision has significantly worsened, urging authorities to declare the hospital a "sub-jail" to ensure the former premier's treatment while maintaining custody.
"Imran Khan is not just a former prime minister, but also a human being and a prisoner," he said. "It's a matter of just ten minutes for a doctor's check-up before transferring him to Shifa hospital."
The NA opposition leader criticised the government, saying its repeated mistakes have made sit-ins inevitable. "The government knows everything, yet continues to ignore the health of the PTI founder."
Achakzai said they would press ahead with their sit-in, insisting they were not there to issue threats but to defend the assembly’s independence.
He claimed that over 100 parliamentarians were being “held captive” inside the building and criticised the prime minister for ignoring a letter he had sent as opposition leader concerning three doctors.
The veteran politician said that as opposition leader, he had written to the Prime Minister listing three doctors for the PTI founder’s treatment, but the prime minister had taken no action.
“Yesterday, we decided to stay here until the PTI founder is taken to Shifa. He should be able to get treatment wherever he chooses,” Achakzai said.
“This is for your own good, Shehbaz bhai,” Achakzai said, addressing the prime minister directly. The opposition leader added that the protest was also a message to the government.
“Even if the government refuses to negotiate, the sit-in will continue. If our demands are not met, the protest will continue through Ramadan. We will observe fasts here and also offer Tarawih prayers,” he said.
Achakzai also questioned the government’s logic regarding resignations and by-elections, saying, “What is PTI’s crime? We are simply asking for our mandate to be returned.”
Separately, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi confirmed plans to shift the PTI founder to Islamabad jail once it is completed.
Speaking to the media in the federal capital, Naqvi said that the construction work for the prison facility will be completed in two months.
"The jail has all medical facilities. The PTI founder will be shifted to the Islamabad jail as he was convicted by the Islamabad High Court," the interior minister said.
The confirmation comes two months after authorities dismissed reports suggesting that the former premier might be shifted from Adiala jail.
On December 10 last year, jail authorities stated that the PTI founder remained at the facility and was being provided full security, medical care, and proper meals.
At the time, sources termed reports of his transfer "baseless", saying he was being treated in accordance with jail regulations and that no administrative decision had been taken regarding his relocation.
