By Zahid Shah

ATTOCK, Pakistan - Pakistan was brought to a near standstill on Monday as mass protests over the imprisonment and reported deteriorating health of former prime minister Imran Khan blocked major highways across the country, stranding thousands of passengers and deepening the political crisis.

Demonstrators led by Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), sealed key transport arteries including the Grand Trunk (GT) Road and the M-1 Motorway using shipping containers and sit-in camps. Protest leaders said the blockades would continue until the 73-year-old opposition leader is released from Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.

The unrest intensified following a court-ordered medical examination of Khan amid reports that he has lost significant vision in one eye. PTI has alleged that the examination process lacks transparency. In a strongly worded statement, Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, accused authorities of refusing to allow doctors nominated by the family to oversee the medical check-up.

“Our representatives, who are qualified doctors, are being refused. Why is the government afraid of transparency?” she said, raising concerns about the impartiality of the examination.

The government has not publicly responded to those allegations.

- Stranded and frustrated

On the ground, the human impact of the political standoff was stark. In the garrison city of Attock -- a key transit hub linking Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) -- traffic gridlock stretched for miles.

Thousands of vehicles, including passenger buses and ambulances, were left immobilized for hours.

They cut off KP province from Islamabad and other parts of the country, as PTI currently rules the province. 

Families, elderly passengers, and patients were seen stepping out of vehicles and walking along highways in search of alternative routes. At the strategic Attock Bridge, one stranded traveler said he had been waiting for hours without clarity on when the road would reopen.

The frustration appeared directed at both sides. Some commuters blamed the government for creating the crisis through Khan’s continued imprisonment, arguing that ordinary citizens were paying the price. Others criticized PTI supporters for blocking public roads and disrupting daily life.

- Government response in the Supreme Court

Amid mounting tensions, the federal government informed the Supreme Court that Khan had been allowed to speak with his children and had undergone a medical examination by an expert team.

A report submitted by the Adiala Jail administration stated that Khan is being provided “better class” prison facilities, including regular medical monitoring, exercise equipment, preferred meals and secure accommodation. It added that he receives visits from medical officers multiple times a day and has access to consultants from public hospitals.

The Supreme Court declared related petitions infructuous, noting that Khan’s main appeal against his August 5, 2023, conviction remains pending before the Islamabad High Court and should be pursued there.

Separately, senior PTI leader Latif Khosa wrote to the Chief Justice expressing concern that Khan’s medical examination had been conducted “in secrecy” without notice to family members or independent doctors.

- Political pressure mounts

The nationwide paralysis presents a significant challenge for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently on an official visit to Austria and is scheduled to travel onward to the United States. While the prime minister engages in diplomatic and economic discussions abroad, his government faces one of the most serious domestic crises since Khan’s arrest.

PTI leaders have vowed to continue protests until their leader is freed, underscoring Pakistan’s deep political divisions. With highways blocked across key provinces, supply chains have been disrupted, and economic activity slowed, affecting millions.

As night fell, thousands of stranded passengers prepared for an uncertain wait, caught in a volatile political confrontation with no immediate resolution in sight. The government faces mounting pressure to restore order, but any forceful crackdown risks escalating tensions further in an already polarized nation