I promise we won’t topple the govt if relations with Imran improve: Abbas

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Monday demanded the formation of a joint parliamentary committee to address issues related to meeting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, vowing that the government would not be toppled if it improved relations with the ex-premier.

Imran has been imprisoned since August 2023, currently serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case. In addition, he faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act for the May 9, 2023, protests. His party has intensified calls for his release after a medical report submitted to court said his right-eye vision had dropped to 15%, while the government maintains he is receiving the best care.

Speaking during today’s Senate session, Abbas said: “You fix things with the PTI founder. I promise I will not let your government fall.”

He said the holy month of Ramazan was a time for repentance and reconciliation. He expressed concern over reports regarding Imran’s eye condition, saying the matter had been under discussion and had caused unease among lawmakers.

“We staged a protest sit-in at Parliament House,” Abbas said, adding that the doors of Parliament had been locked. “Let us set a tradition of peaceful protest. Locking Parliament and confining parliamentarians — is this not an insult to Parliament?” he asked.

Read More: Medical board reports improvement in Imran Khan’s eye condition

Abbas reiterated the demand for proper medical treatment for the PTI founder. He said Imran had spent his time in prison reading the translation and exegesis of the Holy Quran. He also alleged that cases against Imran were fabricated and claimed that his sisters were not being allowed to meet him.

He further said Imran was due to receive another injection as part of his medical treatment and called for the formation of a joint parliamentary committee to facilitate meetings with him.

Responding to points raised by Abbas, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah said democracy was strengthened through dialogue rather than confrontation, urging the opposition to engage constructively in the political process.

He added that the government wanted the opposition to play an effective role in the democratic process to help address national issues and reinforce institutions.

However, Sanaullah expressed regret that the opposition was not willing to become part of the political process, which he said had led to repeated political deadlocks.

Addressing concerns over medical facilities for the jailed PTI founder, he said all entitled facilities were being provided in accordance with the law.

Earlier in the day, PTI staged a protest outside the Supreme Court, demanding that all cases against Imran be fixed for immediate hearings.

Protesters urged the authorities to allow Imran’s family members to meet him and called for a comprehensive medical examination to be conducted by his personal doctors.

PTI stressed that the former prime minister’s legal matters should be heard without further delay and that his medical concerns must be addressed transparently.

The protest was attended by several senior party leaders and elected representatives, including Salman Akram Raja and Aamir Dogar.

Abbas said Imran’s health was a humanitarian matter that should be addressed on urgent and compassionate grounds, adding that the greatest concerns regarding Imran’s eye condition were shared by his family, personal physicians, the party and its supporters.

Referring to a previous medical episode, Abbas claimed that when Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), government ministers initially denied it before later acknowledging the move. “By that time, his eyesight had suffered deadly effects,” he alleged.

He urged the government to resolve the matter before it escalated into a crisis. “Confidence-building measures should be taken and the family and personal doctors should be allowed to meet him,” Abbas said.

PPP to stand like glass-coated wall if anyone talks of Sindh’s division: Sherry Rehman

Meanwhile, Senator Sherry Rehman said any attempt to divide Sindh would be against the Constitution and democracy, warning that such moves would be strongly resisted by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Shery referred to a resolution passed by the Sindh Assembly on February 21, describing it as significant and reflective of the province’s unity. She said the PPP stood as a symbol of unity among all federating units.

“There has been talk about Sindh’s unity and its historic status,” she said, adding that suggestions to separate a port city from Sindh had echoed for centuries.

“Sindh has an inseparable status for us. Whoever talks about breaking it is an enemy of democracy,” Sherry told the House.

Read This: Sindh Assembly passes resolution

She warned that rendering Sindh controversial would go against both the Constitution and democratic principles. “You cannot do all this through backdoor politics,” she said.

Sherry stressed that any such move would require a two-thirds majority in the provincial assembly. “Once you start talking about dividing Sindh, it leads to talk of dividing Pakistan,” she added.

She said people from diverse backgrounds had lived together in Sindh for centuries, and the PPP did not engage in politics based on ethnicity.

“If anyone talks about division, we will stand like a glass-coated wall,” she said, pledging firm resistance. She also accused certain quarters of pursuing “backdoor politics” regarding Sindh and said her party was capable of both resistance and protest politics.