Opposition warns of nationwide protests over denied access to jailed Imran Khan

The opposition alliance on Friday demanded that the government allow Imran Khan to meet with his sisters and other party leaders, warning of nationwide protests if their demand continues to be denied.

Addressing a joint press conference outside the Parliament House, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai accused the government of silencing political disagreement across Pakistan. “We have stopped Sindhis, Baloch, Pashtuns and Punjabis from taking to the streets against the government and its policies, otherwise they would come out and create problems for the government,” he said.

Achakzai questioned why Khan was being held in jail and barred from meeting family or senior party figures. He pointed out that the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had even staged a sit-in outside Adiala Jail to press for access, but their requests have been repeatedly ignored by the authorities. 

Meanwhile, senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Qaiser declared that democracy in the country has been given a back seat in the wake of recent by-elections.

He alleged that during the by-poll in Haripur, where the wife of former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan was contesting, results were manipulated. “The result on Form 47 was different from the result later changed on computer,” he claimed. 

Barrister Gohar Ali Khan added that while the opposition was keen to participate in the democratic process, alleged rigging had made that impossible. “As far as I know, Imran Khan will not allow us to be a part of parliament anymore,” he declared. 

The opposition’s demand comes amid increasing political tension and calls for restoring fundamental democratic rights.