Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Suhail Afridi on Wednesday said that responsibility for protest and negotiations had been entrusted to Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mehmood Khan Achakzai, adding that the PTI founder Imran Khan had assigned them the task of preparing for a street movement.
Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he announced that an “Imran Khan Release Force” was being established under this strategy. He said the force would include members from PTI, the Insaf Student Federation (ISF) and the party’s women wing, among other groups.
He added that an oath-taking ceremony would be held in Peshawar after Eid, following which the future course of action would be announced.
On the occasion, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas said that a medical report regarding the eyesight of the PTI founder had been submitted to the Supreme Court. He claimed that the former prime minister’s eye condition had been alarming and alleged criminal negligence on the part of jail authorities, stating that the matter would be taken up legally.
He said the Tehreek Tahaffuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan had decided to stage a sit-in outside parliament to ensure that the government did not remain negligent. He termed the prevention of peaceful protest and the registration of terrorism cases against lawmakers as unconstitutional and condemnable.
Allama Nasir Abbas further said that Mehmood Khan Achakzai had threatened a hunger strike after reports emerged about damage to the PTI founder’s eyesight. He stated that although there had been some improvement, continuous monitoring was essential. He demanded that Dr Faisal Sultan and Dr Asim Yousaf be granted access, and that the family and legal team be taken on board.
He added that serious concern arose when a report attributed to counsel Salman Safdar suggested that 80 percent of the former premier’s eyesight had been affected. He described any delay in medical treatment as criminal negligence, saying that while some improvement had been noted, uncertainty still remained.
According to him, the PTI founder had conveyed a message seeking a meeting with Dr Faisal Sultan. In view of the commencement of Ramazan, he said, the sit-in had been called off, while a fresh strategy would be finalised soon.