PESHAWAR: Activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf continued to protest the “denial of treatment” to their leader, Imran Khan in jail, for the second consecutive day on Saturday and blocked roads, mainly those connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with other parts of the country.

They had begun street protests against the “loss of Imran’s vision” on Friday, warning that if Imran isn’t provided with complete treatment under the supervision of a personal physician at Rawalpindi’s Al-Shifa Eye Hospital, all routes in the province will remain closed.

On Saturday, the angry PTI leaders and workers blocked the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway at Swabi’s Anbar Interchange, Khairabad Bridge connecting Punjab, Dera Ismail Khan-Bhakkar Road, Lakki Marwat-Mianwali Road, Hazara Motorway at Abbottabad-Havelian Interchange, Kohat-Pindi Road near Khushalgarh and Upper Kohistan-Gilgit Karakoram Highway.

Senator Khuram Shehzad led the protest on the Kohat-Pindi Road, while PTI Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem and provincial deputy information secretary Ikram Khattana were present at Khairabad Bridge, according to the party’s media team.

Protesters vow to stay put until incarcerated leader freed

In a video message, Mr Saleem expressed concern about the “poor health” of Imran.

He urged people to take to the streets to peacefully demand Imran’s access to healthcare, supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law, and their true freedom.

In Swabi, too, the PTI leaders and workers continued to demonstrate for the second day.

They blocked both lanes of the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway to traffic.

The protesters alleged that Imran’s vision was badly damaged due to negligence of the federal government, which was afraid of Imran’s popularity.

They insisted that the PTI leader ruled the hearts and minds of the people.

The PTI activists reached the motorway from Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan and other parts of the province.

The party’s parliamentarians also showed up. The protesters shouted slogans against the federal government and demanded immediate release of Imran for eye treatment.

Higher education minister Meena Khan and relief and rehabilitation minister Aqibullah Khan were present there on the instructions of party leadership to lead workers.

Mr Aqibullah said youth had reached Swabi in large numbers and they would protest until Imran was granted justice.

“This is our country. This is our homeland. All institutions are ours, but I will say one thing clearly if they [authorities] want to push us to the wall and if they want to scare us, they won’t be successful. We are not afraid of death,” he said.

The minister said Imran remained the country’s prime minister, fought for people’s rights, built cancer hospitals for them, won the country the Cricket World Cup, and granted people a vision for the future, but he was kept in prison unjustifiably.

“We want Imran Khan to be released without delay otherwise the situation will slip out of the government’s control,” he said.

He warned if the PTI leader wasn’t freed, the street protests would spread across the country.

The protesters vowed to stay put until their demands weren’t met.

Meanwhile, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar tweeted that in the last 48 hours, 20,000-22,000 people reached out to him and demanded “action” for the release of the party founder.

“Revolution does not come through messages. You will have to reach the Swabi interchange. The interchange is waiting for you,” he said.

In Dera Ismail Khan, too, PTI workers continued their protest for the second consecutive day, demanding the release of Imran. Key roads remained blocked, disrupting traffic.

Protesters blocked Qureshi Morr and the Dera-Darya Khan Bridge, suspending vehicular movement between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Long queues of vehicles were seen on the highway for hours.

Witnesses said party workers showed up in large numbers and blocked the roads, bringing traffic to a complete halt.

Travellers, especially patients and families, resented the prolonged blockade. Police repeatedly tried to persuade protesters to reopen the roads, but to no avail.

The district administration advised commuters to use alternative routes but they, too, witnessed traffic congestion.

The PTI workers said they would continue their protest until their leader was released for proper eye care under the supervision of a personal doctor.

Residents resented the continued road closures and urged authorities to restore traffic flow and ensure that law and order is maintained.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2026