February 16, 2026
Iqra Manzoor
LAHORE
Major highways and entry points across Khyber Pukhtunkhwa remained blocked on Sunday as workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) continued their protest for the third consecutive day, demanding medical treatment for party founder Imran Khan.
However during the last three days, it has reportedly been observed that there has been less of a crowd at the protest venues during daytime, while more supporters gathered in the evening hours.
PTI activists blocked the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway at Swabi’s Anbar Interchange, GT Road at Khairabad Bridge, Dera Ismail Khan-Bhakkar Road, Lakki Marwat-Mianwali Road, Hazara Motorway at Abbottabad-Havelian Interchange, Kohat-Pindi Road near Khushal Garh and Upper Kohistan-Gilgit section of the Karakoram Highway.
Protesters remained present at entry and exit points and did not allow vehicles to enter the province, causing serious problems for passengers and motorists travelling to Islamabad and other parts of the country. Long queues of vehicles were reportedly seen on major arteries.
Former governor Shah Farman, PTI Peshawar district president Irfan Saleem, deputy secretary information Ikram Khattana and other party leaders were present at Khairabad Bridge, which connects Attock district of Punjab with KP.
Speaking on the occasion, Shah Farman said that under Article-4 of the Constitution, no authority could deny treatment of his choice to a patient. He said that the people, who were not allowing treatment of Imran Khan through doctors of his choice, would be responsible if his eye was further damaged.
PTI workers blocked Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway near Swabi Interchange to all types of traffic, vowing to stay on roads till Imran Khan was shifted to hospital for medical treatment.
Provincial Minister Meena Khan Afridi, while speaking to media at the Swabi Interchange sit-in, said, “Our demand is very clear that basic human rights should be provided to Khan Sahib. Imran Khan’s treatment should be carried out under the supervision of his family and his personal doctors.”
Vendors were reportedly seen selling various eatables while setting up stalls on the motorway, converting it into a market. PTI Swabi general secretary Afsar Khan told the media, “We will continue to sit here if our demand is not accepted. This protest will continue. The federal government is responsible for the prevailing mess in the country,” he said.
Stranded commuters said that the government should take action against PTI workers to open the motorway to traffic because people, especially patients, were facing difficulties.
“Where should we go, who should we beg, who should we ask and who should we request to open the motorway,” questioned Shahzad Khan, a resident of Peshawar.
PTI worker dies due to firing alleges family
On Saturday, Uzair Khan, a resident of Gundam was reportedly seriously injured in a firing incident, and was not allowed to reach a hospital in Peshawar through the motorway. The circumstances reportedly forced his family to pass through Swabi and Mardan but he did not reach hospital and passed away. His relatives reportedly said that PTI workers were responsible for his death.
In Dera Ismail Khan district, PTI workers blocked roads at four key points including Bhakkar Road, Multan Road, Chashma Road and the CPEC route, suspending traffic. Long queues of vehicles were reportedly seen on major arteries.
PTI Youth Wing South Region president Abdul Wasi Mehsud, while addressing the sit-in in Dera Ismail Khan, announced, “Until Imran Khan is released, the sit-ins will not end.”
Witnesses said that several commuters remained stranded for hours, while alternative routes also experienced heavy congestion due to diverted traffic. The protest was reportedly held on the call of PTI central leaders, who urged workers to demonstrate over what they described as the deteriorating health of Imran Khan and to demand his immediate release.
The district administration monitored the situation while residents called for restoration of traffic flow.
PTI activists also continued protest demonstrations in Lakki Marwat and Karak districts on the second consecutive day. A number of party workers led by former district nazim Ishfaq Ahmad Khan Minakhel reportedly gathered at Darra Tang Point and closed Bannu-Mianwali road linking KP with Punjab and Islamabad via the CPEC route.
The former district nazim said that denial of access to healthcare and maltreatment by the federal government had led to loss of Imran’s vision. He said that PTI activists had come on roads to hold peaceful protests against the PML-N government, which was responsible for the poor health of their party leader.
In Karak, PTI workers gathered outside Nashapa oil and gas field and staged a sit-in. Oil tankers were reportedly unable to enter or leave the area. An official of the district administration confirmed disruption of oil supply from the field.
PTI district president Inayat Khattak said that leaders and workers of the party decided in a meeting to shut down oil and gas fields in Makori, Nashapa and Gurguri to record their protest against non-provision of treatment facilities to Imran Khan.
Petition filed
Meanwhile a petition was reportedly filed in Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging the protest on the Motorway and GT Road as unconstitutional and requesting that the roads be reopened. The petition was filed by Tariq Afghan through Barrister Huzaifa Ahmed, naming the provincial government, PTI provincial president Junaid Akbar Khan, the IG of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the National Highways Authority as respondents.The petition reportedly states that PTI workers had blocked the Motorway at Anbar Interchange and the GT Road near Attock Bridge, disrupting the movement of the general public and severing inter-provincial connectivity. It notes that freedom of movement is guaranteed under Article 15 of the Constitution. While peaceful protest is a constitutional right, the petition argues that violent demonstrations are unconstitutional. It requested the court to declare the road closure illegal and order the reopening of traffic.