Islamabad- Lawmakers from Pakistan’s opposition staged a sit-in on Monday outside the country’s top court, pressing for the immediate scheduling of legal appeals filed by the imprisoned former prime minister and demanding expanded access for his family and doctors.
Supporters of the former leader, founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, gathered on the lawn outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad, where several senior figures took part in the demonstration. The protest underscored the intensifying political struggle surrounding the fate of Imran Khan, who has been behind bars since August 2023.
Mr. Khan is serving a 14-year sentence at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi in connection with a £190 million corruption case. He was also recently convicted in a separate case involving state gifts received during his tenure in office. His legal team has filed appeals, but opposition leaders say hearings have yet to be scheduled with the urgency the matter demands.
Among those attending the protest were Allama Nasir Abbas, the leader of the opposition in the Senate, and Salman Akram Raja, a senior party figure and lawyer. Several members of the National Assembly also joined the sit-in, sitting cross-legged on the court’s lawn as they spoke with reporters and fellow lawmakers.
The demonstration was organized in part by the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan, which has called for what it described as a transparent and comprehensive medical examination of Mr. Khan by doctors of his own choosing. Concerns about his health have mounted in recent weeks after it emerged that he was diagnosed with right central retinal vein occlusion, a condition affecting blood flow in the eye that can impair vision.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court allowed a lawyer for Mr. Khan to visit him after weeks in which family members and associates said they had been denied access. The lawyer later reported to the court that only 15 percent vision remained in Mr. Khan’s right eye, fueling criticism from opposition figures who accuse the authorities of neglecting his medical needs.
Last week, the alliance staged a separate five-day sit-in at Parliament House, suspending the protest ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.
Leaders of the governing Pakistan Peoples Party have rejected allegations of mistreatment. On Sunday, Sharjeel Inam Memon, a senior party official, said that Mr. Khan’s release “is in his own hands,” suggesting that it depends on the posture and conduct of his party.
The standoff outside the court reflects the broader polarization that has gripped Pakistan’s politics since Mr. Khan’s ouster from office in 2022 — a divide that shows little sign of narrowing as legal battles and street protests continue to shape the country’s public life.
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