Summary Mahmood Khan Achakzai warns against wasting political opportunities as PTI challenges Imran Khan’s hospital transfer and threatens legal action.
ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai has warned that wasting opportunities to ease Pakistan’s political crisis would amount to “treason against the country,” while criticising the government’s handling of PTI founder Imran Khan’s transfer to hospital.
Speaking alongside PTI lawmakers and senior leaders at Parliament House, Achakzai said there had been hope that the Supreme Court’s order to shift Imran Khan to Shifa International Hospital could create an opportunity for political progress. He said PTI had fully cooperated with the decision and had assured authorities that there would be no political gatherings, slogans or disorder outside the hospital.
Achakzai said the opposition’s disagreement was not personal with any military official, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or Nawaz Sharif, but was with forces that did not accept constitutional supremacy, an independent judiciary and the basic needs of ordinary citizens. He said the opposition would pursue its response through peaceful political activity.
He said important progress was being made towards forming a united opposition and expressed the hope that the alliance would help Pakistan overcome its current crisis and move towards a genuinely democratic system.
According to Achakzai, Parliament should be the sole source of political power, the judiciary should remain completely independent within its constitutional domain, and journalism should face no restrictions.
— Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (@TTAP_OFFICIAL) August 21, 2026
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja announced that the party would approach the Supreme Court with a contempt petition over the alleged non-implementation of its order directing Imran Khan’s transfer to Shifa International Hospital. Raja said the petition would be filed on Saturday and warned that if another court order was similarly disregarded, it could further deepen the political crisis. He said PTI had already announced a street movement and would seek public support.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan also questioned how political negotiations with the government could proceed when, according to him, the Supreme Court’s order regarding Imran’s transfer had not been implemented as directed. He said the party had continued seeking a political solution but criticised the government’s handling of dialogue.
Gohar later warned in the National Assembly that PTI could reconsider its participation in Parliament, saying the party would decide within a few days whether it would continue sitting in the assembly.
The controversy followed Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s statement that Imran was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), rather than Shifa International Hospital, because of security concerns allegedly created by PTI workers along the route and outside the hospital.
Tarar said the examination was conducted by a team of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, cardiologist and physician, with Shifa doctors also present. He said Imran was declared medically fit and returned to Adiala jail at around 5am on Friday.
The Supreme Court had earlier ordered that Imran be shifted to Shifa International Hospital for treatment for several days and directed the government to facilitate weekly meetings between him and his family. The court also ordered access for his personal physician and directed the formation of a medical board comprising an eye specialist, general physician and cardiologist.
