PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s multi-party opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) announced nationwide protests on May 22 against inflation, the transfer of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan to a hospital and the release of political prisoners, the alliance said on Tuesday.
The surge in global oil prices and disruptions in commodity supply have fueled inflation and raised prices in Pakistan amid the US-Israel war on Iran. This is linked to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil passes. As a result, the Pakistani government has increased petrol prices by approximately 45 percent per liter.
Khan, who has been imprisoned at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail since 2023 in connection with multiple legal cases, has been receiving follow-up medical treatment for an ongoing eye condition. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has repeatedly expressed concerns about his medical care and has requested his transfer to a hospital. However, the government and jail authorities have denied their request and mistreatment allegations.
The decision to stage a nationwide protest was taken during a high-level meeting of the TTAP chaired by Mahmood Khan Achakzai to discuss the country’s overall situation, including the government’s failure to curb inflation and address governance issues.
“It was decided in the leadership meeting of TTAP that nationwide protests would be held on Friday against severe inflation, the massive increase in petroleum prices, ongoing lawlessness in the country, for the immediate transfer of Imran Khan to a hospital, and for the release of political prisoners,” the TTAP party said in a statement.
Other political prisoners include Sunni Ittehad Council Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza, former lawmaker Ali Wazir and rights activist Mahrang Baloch, who was arrested last year on charges of terrorism, sedition, and murder.
The TTAP said the protest will be staged in all district headquarters. It also condemned the upcoming International Monetary Fund–driven budget, saying it will place additional economic pressure on the public.
“Expressing grave concern over reports regarding Imran Khan’s health, the meeting demanded that he be immediately shifted to a hospital and that his family members and political associates be allowed to meet him,” it added.
In April, Khan underwent a fourth eye procedure at the state-run Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad, where doctors reported signs of clinical improvement in his condition.
The hospital said Khan was brought in for his fourth intravitreal injection, a procedure commonly used to treat retinal and other eye-related conditions through medication injected into the eye.
The 74-year-old former premier remains at the center of Pakistan’s polarized political landscape, with his health and jail conditions closely watched by supporters, political rivals and rights observers.
