Islamabad: Tension gripped Pakistan’s National Assembly on Thursday as Opposition lawmakers unleashed a fierce uproar over the deteriorating health and isolation of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, demanding immediate access for his family or vowing countrywide protests within 24 hours.
The flashpoint erupted when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) firebrand Faisal Javed Khan took the floor, painting a grim picture of Khan’s 15-month ordeal in Adiala Jail. Arrested in August 2023 by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case — alongside wife Bushra Bibi — Khan has been branded a “VIP prisoner” by authorities.
Authorities insist that Khan enjoys luxuries such as a personal chef, on-call doctor, and gym equipment, dismissing health concerns as baseless.
However, the PTI disputes this claim, accusing the Shahbaz Sharif government of engaging in a sinister cover-up. “For three agonising weeks, Khan’s sisters, doctors, lawyers, and even party colleagues have been stonewalled,” Javed thundered, highlighting the ban on telephonic chats with Khan’s children. In a viral X post, he slammed: “Immediate access to Imran Khan MUST be granted now. He remains in extreme isolation… He is not even permitted to have telephonic contact with his own children. Bushra Bibi is also denied.”
Javed’s impassioned plea for an end to solitary confinement ignited pandemonium. Slogans filled the air as Opposition voices drowned out the proceedings, forcing a brief halt. Home Minister Talal Chaudhry retaliated by citing jail protocols and Khan’s elite privileges, but his words only intensified the tension, leading PTI to label the charges as a “political vendetta” aimed at stifling Khan’s enduring popularity.
As the clock ticks on PTI’s stark ultimatum — meet family by tomorrow or brace for street fury — the fragile Sharif regime teeters. Will this spark a fresh wave of unrest or bend to the roar of the ousted leader’s loyalists? Pakistan anxiously awaits the outcome.