Opposition leaders hold sit-in outside Supreme Court, demand immediate scheduling of Imran’s cases

Members of the opposition protested outside the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday to demand that the cases of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan be immediately scheduled for hearing and that he be allowed to meet his family.

Imran, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a 14-year sentence at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail in a £190 million corruption case and was convicted in another case regarding state gifts recently.

His health has been garnering attention in recent days, with his family and party raising concerns since his eye ailment — right central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) — came to light in late January.

Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja participated in the protest, which ended at around 2pm.

Other leaders present included MNAs Amir Dogar and Shahid Khattak, MPA Shafiullah Jan, and Muhammad Hussain.

The protest participants also demanded that “a complete medical examination be conducted through his personal doctors”, according to a post by the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on X.

A video shared by the TTAP showed the parliamentarians sitting on the lawn outside the SC and talking amongst themselves.

Imran’s family and associates had been barred from visiting him for several weeks until the SC’s intervention earlier this month led to PTI lawyer Salman Safdar being allowed to visit him. Following his visit, he submitted a report to the SC, which said only 15 per cent vision was left in the PTI founder’s right eye, prompting outrage and protests from the opposition against his treatment.

The TTAP had held a sit-in at the Parliament House the previous week for the fulfillment of its demands for Imran’s treatment and examination, eventually calling it off after five days in deference to the holy month of Ramazan.

Meanwhile, PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon on Sunday said that Imran Khan’s release was “in his own hands” as it depended on his party’s “attitude”.