- Joint parliamentary committee stresses ex-premier’s well-being as top priority
- Asad Qaiser warns ‘all options are open’ if powers ignore Imran’s condition, saying protest on February 8 aimed to be nationwide and fully successful
- Resolution to be submitted to Chief Justice of Pakistan on Friday with committee condemns arrests of party leaders, solidarity shown with Balochistan martyrs
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) on Thursday declared that no compromise would be made on the health of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, urging the nation to participate in the nationwide shutter-down strike scheduled for February 8 (Sunday).
The announcement came during a meeting of PTI’s joint parliamentary committee held at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. The closed-door session was attended by senior political leaders, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, TTAP chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, and PTI stalwarts Asad Qaiser and Taimoor Saleem Jhagra, among others.
Addressing the participants, Asad Qaiser said the meeting was convened specifically to discuss the health of Imran Khan. He noted that representatives of 40 million people were in attendance and unanimously resolved that they would not compromise on the ex-premier’s well-being.
“Don’t push us against the wall; otherwise, all options are open,” Qaiser warned the ‘powers that be,’ emphasizing the seriousness of their stance. Speaking about the upcoming protest, he added, “Today, we pledge that we will make the protest successful.”
He further stated that the PTI would meet Supreme Court Chief Justice at 10am on Friday to share the resolution passed by the committee regarding Imran Khan’s health.
Reading out the official declaration, Qaiser said the meeting, chaired by Achakzai, expressed deep concern over the PTI founder’s health and demanded that his visitation rights be restored.
The participants also voiced concerns over the law and order situation in Balochistan, which had witnessed a spate of attacks over the weekend, and expressed solidarity with the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.
Additionally, the meeting called for urgent steps to ensure the welfare of people in Tirah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and to rehouse those displaced by recent incidents. Participants vowed to intensify PTI’s ongoing street movement, aiming to make the nationwide protest on February 8 successful.
The committee also condemned the arrest of party leaders and workers in Sindh, announcing that rallies would be staged after Isha prayers on February 8. Solidarity was also expressed with the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir, highlighting their right to self-determination and denouncing the revocation of Article 370-A in 2019 by the Indian parliament.
However, participants appreciated the meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and KP CM Afridi, urging that the province’s dues be cleared.
Before the committee meeting, Salman Akram Raja said that all issues, including the upcoming protests, would be discussed during the gathering. He clarified reports regarding remarks by Achakzai and Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, stating that the comment about the protest “not being a one-day affair” referred to the broader struggle for democracy continuing beyond February 8.
The development comes after the government last week confirmed that Imran Khan was treated at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), days after media reports regarding the ex-premier’s health surfaced.
Speaking on a television channel, Tarar said the former prime minister, who is imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, was taken to PIMS in Islamabad for a 20-minute medical procedure on the night of January 24.
He added that during the visit, Imran’s eyes were further examined, and with his written consent, the short procedure was conducted. The ex-premier was then returned to Adiala Jail with important medical instructions.
