Islamabad, Feb 13 (.) Authorities in Pakistan placed Islamabad’s high-security Red Zone under lockdown on Friday, upping crowd control measures by erecting barricades and deploying a large number of police personnel in order to prevent protesting opposition lawmakers and supporters from reaching the Parliament House.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has launched a massive sit-in over reports of failing eyesight of their incarcerated founder and former prime minister Imran Khan.
The protest follows claims submitted before the Supreme Court of Pakistan that Khan has lost 85% vision in his right eye and retains only 15%, prompting renewed political agitation and legal scrutiny.
The unfolding standoff has added to the already heightened political tensions in Islamabad, with legal proceedings over Khan’s health intersecting with parliamentary activity.
Police set up barriers at Radio Pakistan Chowk, blocking access to Shahrah-e-Dastoor and the Parliament complex. Additional security forces were stationed across key junctions, while entry points to the Parliament Lodges were temporarily closed as PTI lawmakers attempted to join the demonstration.
The Red Zone, which houses Parliament House, the Supreme Court and other major government offices, is routinely sealed during periods of heightened political tension.
Officials did not immediately issue a formal statement explaining the scale of the restrictions, but police on the ground cited security concerns linked to the announced sit-in.
The sit-in was triggered by a report submitted by PTI counsel Salman Safdar, appointed amicus curiae by the Supreme Court, after he visited Adiala Jail to assess Khan’s condition.
The court had directed Safdar to submit findings following Khan’s claim that his right eye vision had sharply deteriorated.
The bench subsequently ordered that a medical examination be conducted and that Khan be allowed to communicate with his children before February 16.
PTI leaders argue that the government has delayed or restricted access to specialist care, while the government maintains that medical facilities are being provided in accordance with the law.
Speaking outside Parliament House, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said he had “barely managed” to reach the building amid tightened security.
“Parliamentarians are being stopped; I somehow managed to reach parliament,” he told reporters, confirming the start of the sit-in.
He warned that if the party was denied the right to protest at the designated location, demonstrations would expand nationwide.
“We want to steer matters in the right direction. If the situation slips from our hands, the government will not be able to control it,” he said.
Gohar further noted that Khan had authorised leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Mehmood Khan Achakzai and senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to lead the protest on his behalf.
Addressing the media, Achakzai described the protest as peaceful and said the core demand was access to independent medical specialists and family members.
“Earlier, I was told that the PTI founder’s health was better. We want him to be treated by competent doctors available in the country,” he said.
As security remains tight in the Red Zone, attention now turns to the Supreme Court’s next steps and whether negotiations can ease the confrontation between the government and the opposition.
. . PRS