Five senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) currently incarcerated at Kot Lakhpat Jail have urged the party to suspend protest activities during the holy month of Ramazan, according to a joint letter released to the media on Friday.
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The letter was signed by Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and was conveyed through their lawyer Advocate Rana Mudassar Umar.
In the letter, the detained leaders also criticised recent remarks made by President Asif Ali Zardari, who had stated last week that political leaders must be prepared to face imprisonment to protect their parties and supporters. Without naming PTI founder Imran Khan, Zardari had remarked that some leaders began complaining about jail conditions after extended detention, contrasting it with his own years spent in prison.
The PTI leaders strongly condemned the president’s comments, asserting that Imran Khan was enduring difficult prison conditions with dignity. They urged the government to refrain from politicising his health and called for his sisters and personal physicians to be consulted regarding his medical treatment.
The letter further appealed to the opposition alliance Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-i-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) to actively pursue political engagement within Parliament. It also advised PTI officials nationwide to reorganise the party structure at the grassroots level in preparation for upcoming local government elections.
Highlighting broader national concerns, the incarcerated leaders stressed the need to raise awareness about rising terrorism, inflation, unemployment, corruption, and the growing number of out-of-school children.
Earlier this month, Imran Khan — currently detained at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi — claimed that vision in his right eye had reduced to 15 per cent. Following the claim, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a medical board to examine him and directed authorities to allow him to speak with his children.
The TTAP opposition alliance had recently staged a six-day sit-in outside Parliament House demanding improved medical access for the PTI founder, including confidential consultations with his personal doctors and access to diagnostic reports.
The five jailed leaders had previously issued a similar appeal in January, urging authorities to ensure proper medical treatment after reports emerged that Imran Khan was suffering from an eye infection. They also requested the chief justice to personally oversee the matter to ensure timely medical care.
