The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has denied reports circulating on social media regarding the deaths at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest. According to the hospital, 66 security and 36 civilians were admitted due to injuries; however, most have been treated and discharged following first aid procedures while others are under observation.
PTI supporters were allegedly told that there had been deaths among the protesters, according to a statement by PIMS. Internal Federal Minister Mohsin Naqvi termed the baseless accusations on deaths as “senseless” and added that no arms were given to the police for protest and that all officers were wielding batons. Naqvi then challenged PTI leaders to provide evidence on dead figures, saying, “There has not been a single report of death in any hospital.”
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Meanwhile, PTI’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said that the party would continue its sit-in protests despite the latest jolt in Islamabad. Gandapur addressed the media at a presser in Mansehra, where he condemned the violence meted out against PTI workers and announced the disbursement of Rs 10 million as compensation to the families of those presumed martyrs during the protest action. He noted that PTI peacefully protested, but such protests were shot at, and he said he would continue the sit-in until they met their demands, which included the release of Imran Khan and fair elections.
The current turmoil exhibits the widening rift between PTI and the government, with both mutely accusing each other of destabilizing democratic principles and resorting to violence.