PTI leaders stage sit-in outside Supreme Court after failing to meet chief justice

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders staged a protest sit-in outside the Supreme Court on Friday after they were denied a meeting with Chief Justice Yahya Afridi.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, accompanied by senior PTI figures, arrived at the Supreme Court seeking a meeting with the chief justice but were instead received by the Supreme Court registrar.

PTI lawyer Salman Akram Raja and senior politician Latif Khosa met the registrar for about 10 minutes before holding a separate meeting with the attorney general.

A heavy contingent of security personnel was deployed inside and outside the Supreme Court, with additional prison vans positioned nearby as a precaution, witnesses said.

The protest comes amid PTI’s concerns over the health and medical treatment of its jailed founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.

Speaking to reporters outside the Supreme Court, Afridi alleged that Khan had been taken from Adiala jail to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for an eye procedure without informing his family or lawyers.

“The matter has moved from Adiala to PIMS, but the family was not told,” Afridi said. “The biggest concern is that there is no retina specialist at PIMS.”

He said the government denied for five days that Khan had been shifted for treatment, adding that prison authorities were legally bound to notify relatives if an inmate was transferred to hospital.

“We came to meet the chief justice, but we were only able to meet the registrar,” Afridi said. “We will continue to sit here until we receive an answer.”

Afridi also said PTI leaders were being denied access to Khan despite his name being included on the visitors’ list.

Asked about reports that an Islamabad court had issued arrest warrants for him, Afridi said he was unaware of the details. When questioned about a possible arrest outside the court, he replied: “I want them to arrest me. I am ready.”

Salman Akram Raja said that Khan had undergone surgery at the PIMS but the authorities withheld the information.

“The law requires that the family be informed when a prisoner is taken to hospital,” he said.

Khosa urged the chief justice to intervene, saying that no specialist was available at the PIMS to handle a retinal rupture case and describing Khan as a “red line” for the party.

The PTI leaders said that it would continue its protest until it received assurances regarding Khan’s medical care and access for family and legal representatives.