British Broadcasting Company (BBC) Urdu’s groundbreaking report on the aftermath of the November 26 clash between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and law enforcement agencies at D-Chowk, Islamabad.
As part of its investigative reporting, a BBC team visited Islamabad’s Poly Clinic and PIMS Hospital to clarify the events surrounding a contentious protest in Islamabad. Despite official denials from Poly Clinic’s administration on Thursday rejecting claims of receiving any casualties from the protest, BBC’s access to hospital records contradicted these statements. Records indicated the presence of three bodies, all with gunshot wounds, received on the evening of November 26, with two fatalities recorded within the hospital.
Hospital personnel confirmed that one of the bodies stayed in the Poly Clinic morgue until Wednesday, while families claimed two others. Additionally, a doctor from the hospital claimed that police had interfered with the process of releasing the bodies.
’میرے ہاتھوں پر شوہر کا خون ہی خون تھا‘: پی ٹی آئی کے خلاف گرینڈ آپریشن کے بعد اسلام آباد کے ہسپتالوں میں بی بی سی کی ٹیم نے کیا دیکھا؟https://t.co/wf88tSgQIY
— BBC News اردو (@BBCUrdu) November 28, 2024In an interview, Federal Minister of Information Atta Tarar asserted that police or law enforcement had not fired any shots, arguing that there would be autopsy reports if such events had occurred. However, two Poly Clinic medical staff members told the BBC that police had indeed blocked them from performing autopsies.
While the administration at PIMS Hospital had limited access to their records, the BBC discovered that families had claimed the bodies of two PTI workers from Shangla and Mardan brought to the facility.
بریکنگ۔🛑
جنوبی پنجاب کا محمد شفیق اور دیگر کی لاشیں پولی کلینک میں پڑی ہیں لیکن حکومت انکاری ہے کہ انکی شہید نہیں کیا گیا۔
نا ہی انکی لاشیں ورثا کی دی جا رہی ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/ruHDDVK3uP
— Arslan Baloch (@balochi5252) November 28, 2024Out of five reported fatalities from gunfire on Tuesday, hospitals no longer held four bodies. Nevertheless, the BBC identified several individuals at the hospital who had sustained gunshot wounds during the PTI protest.
Read: PIMS Clarifies No Fatalities at PTI Protest Amid Misinformation
Several doctors reported to the BBC a massive influx of patients with gunshot wounds on the evening of November 26, with estimates ranging between 45 and 55 cases. These doctors, opting to stay anonymous for fear of repercussions, described a hectic and overwhelming scenario where they performed urgent surgeries under extreme conditions.
Government Minister Atta Tarar responded to these allegations, dismissing them as propaganda from PTI and suggesting political bias among medical professionals linked to PTI. He emphasized that official statements from the Medical Superintendent and the Ministry of Health have categorically denied these claims.
Read: How Bushra Bibi’s Container Catches Fire During PTI Protest in Islamabad
The BBC report paints a stark and disturbing picture of the night’s events, highlighting discrepancies between official statements and the realities described by medical staff and affected individuals. This report raises serious questions about the handling of the protestors and the subsequent medical response, suggesting a need for further investigation and transparency.
