Fresh protests rock Pak over Imran Khan, sisters accuse Mohsin Naqvi of threats

Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) escalated protests on Wednesday amid concerns over the former prime minister's eyesight, blocking the key route connecting Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and staging a sit-in near the Parliament in Islamabad. It came as Imran's sisters claimed he was being subjected to "unimaginable mistreatment" in prison and accused interior minister and PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi of threatening them.

The fresh round of protests comes a week after a Supreme Court-appointed lawyer said the former World Cup-winning Pakistani skipper was going blind. In a seven-page report, the lawyer said the 73-year-old, who has been languishing in Adiala Jail since 2023, was left with just 15% vision in his right eye. It led to Imran's family demanding immediate access to the former PM. But it has fallen on deaf ears.

PROTESTS GAIN STEAM

While tensions have been simmering since the report was released, all hell broke loose on Wednesday as thousands of Imran's supporters and PTI workers occupied the Attock Bridge, cutting off Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from the rest of the country. It led to a massive traffic chaos, with hundreds of vehicles stranded in long queues for hours.

Parallelly, the Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ain Pakistan, the opposition alliance, has been agitating near Parliament and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in the capital.

At the heart of the protests is one key demand -- to shift Imran to Shifa Hospital in Islamabad for specialist care.

IMRAN'S SISTERS BLAME ASIM MUNIR, NAQVI

Moreover, Imran's sisters have added another layer of contention to the issue. In a hard-hitting press conference on Tuesday, Uzma Khan and Aleema Khan have accused Pakistan army chief Asim Munir and Mohsin Naqvi of being part of a "lethal conspiracy" to kill Imran in custody.

"Mohsin Naqvi is threatening us; they have tasted blood. If anything happens to Imran Khan or to us, mark my words, we will not spare anyone's future generations either," Uzma warned.

Earlier this week, another sister of Imran, Noreen Niazi, also blamed Munir for the deterioration in his health.

"Imran Khan has endured unimaginable mistreatment under the directives of 'Asim Law', now facing irreversible damage to his right eye as a direct consequence," Noreen tweeted.

For those closely following Pakistan politics, one would know the intense rivalry between Imran and Munir, who was surreptitiously removed as ISI chief by the former PM in 2019. Despite being in prison, why does Imran still spook Asim Munir? You can read about it here.

WHAT HAVE DOCTORS SAID ON IMRAN KHAN?

What has further aggravated the standoff is the government's refusal to allow a family representative during Imran's medical evaluation.

On Monday, a government-appointed medical board said there was significant improvement in Imran's eyesight. One of the two doctors also held discussions with Aasim Yusuf, Imran's personal physician, according to a report in Al Jazeera.

"The two doctors who met Imran in jail said he confirmed to them that he was unable to see the clock on the wall for a few weeks, but can now not only see that, but also the clock hands. According to doctors, this was an incredible improvement," PTI general secretary Salman Akram Raja told reporters.

Separately, Abdullah Hamid Gul, the chief of Tehreek-e-Jawanan Pakistan party, told India Today that an injection was given to Imran after which his eyesight started improving.

However, Imran's family has rejected the government board's claims.

The issue has also drawn global attention, with a group of legendary former international cricketers, including India's Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, appealing to the Pakistan government to provide "immediate and adequate medical attention" to the 1992 World Cup-winning captain.

PROTESTS AGAIN AFTER 2 MONTHS

This is the second time in two months that protests over Imran Khan's health have rocked Pakistan. In November, PTI workers clashed with security forces for over two days in Rawalpindi amid rumours that Imran was killed inside Adiala Jail, where he has been lodged since August 2023 in a web of corruption and terrorism cases.

However, the protests ended after one of his sisters was allowed to meet him inside the prison. Uzma Khan, who met Imran on December 2, said the former PM was fine but had been kept in solitary confinement.

Now, Imran's eyesight has become the latest flashpoint as protests gain steam in Pakistan. With anger simmering, patience is wearing thin among his supporters and PTI workers, who are turning the issue, quite literally, into an eye for an eye.

- Ends