Accusing the current government of “hiding the truth” about the late-night crackdown on protesters, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has pledged to file first information reports (FIRs) against senior government officials, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, over the deaths of party workers.
PTI spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram, during a press conference in Peshawar, stated that FIRs would be registered against PM Shehbaz, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
The move follows claims by PTI that nearly 1,000 of its workers were arrested in the crackdown on a protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, where party supporters gathered as part of a “do-or-die” protest demanding the release of Imran Khan, the party founder who has been imprisoned for over a year.
PTI alleges that hundreds of protesters were shot, with casualties ranging from eight to 40, while the government denies any fatalities, stating there was no direct firing during the operation to disperse the marchers.
Slamming the government for “denying the facts,” Akram asserted that PTI has video evidence showing how many bullets were fired. “At least 12 people were killed on the spot, and their bodies were not returned to their families,” he claimed.
He further accused the government of pressuring Islamabad’s Polyclinic Hospital to conceal the records of deceased and injured protesters. “Many of our missing workers are in police custody,” he added.
The spokesperson also emphasized that PTI’s legal teams are assisting the arrested protesters, clarifying that they were not “terrorists but peaceful protesters.”
Akram criticized the Punjab government for raiding the homes of provincial MNAs and vandalizing properties. He also called the imposition of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa “utter foolishness.”
In response to a question, he condemned the Balochistan Assembly’s resolution to ban PTI, announcing that PTI would soon table a similar resolution in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to ban the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
Akram also praised KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur for protecting the dignity of Pashtuns by preventing the arrest of Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife.
Gandapur Calls for Completion of Missing Workers List
Meanwhile, KP CM Gandapur emphasized the need to expedite the completion of the list of PTI workers who are either missing or have died during the recent Islamabad protests.
He stated, “Our priority should be to finalize the lists of party workers who were killed, arrested, or are still missing after the law enforcement agencies’ crackdown on our peaceful sit-in in the capital.”
Once the lists are completed, Gandapur assured, the families of the deceased would receive Rs10 million each in compensation, and legal proceedings would begin to secure the release of arrested party workers and leaders.
He added that PTI’s legal team had been instructed to prepare the necessary documents to file an FIR against law enforcement agencies for allegedly targeting peaceful workers and party leaders during the crackdown.
Gandapur, who had earlier called off the ongoing protest, reiterated his commitment to supporting PTI workers. “Our workers are valuable assets who have endured severe persecution to fight for Khan’s freedom, and we will never abandon them during this difficult time,” he pledged.
