The Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) has issued a statement debunking rumours of fatalities linked to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest circulating on social media.
The hospital administration stated that reports claiming protester deaths during the PTI protest are unsubstantiated. During the protest, the emergency department treated 66 security personnel and 36 civilians, most of whom doctors discharged after initial care, while a few remained under observation.
Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi accused PTI supporters of fabricating death claims to protect their image. “They have been visiting hospitals since morning, searching for bodies to support their propaganda,” he stated.
A massacre has unfolded in Pakistan at the hands of security forces under the brutal, fascist military regime led by the Shehbaz-Zardari-Asim alliance. The nation is drowning in blood. Today, armed security forces launched a violent assault on peaceful PTI protesters in… pic.twitter.com/JDDSVfKDqb
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 26, 2024Naqvi also pointed out that the police only carried batons, not firearms, during the PTI protest. He challenged the PTI to substantiate their claims, asking for names and details of any alleged casualties. “We checked, and no hospital confirmed any deaths. If there are victims, they should provide their names and information,” he stated, emphasizing that while there were injuries from stone-throwing, death claims are completely baseless.
اپنے ملک سے محت میں اس کی حقیقی آزادی کے لئے معصوم نہتا انیس خوب لڑا اور بھرپور مقابلہ کیا لیکن جب سامنے والے کے پاس بندوق ہو تو ۔۔۔۔#اسلام_آباد_قتل_عام #IslamabadMassacre pic.twitter.com/FXtXW0y2ao
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 27, 2024Naqvi reiterated that both police officers and protesters suffered injuries during the clash but firmly denied any deaths occurred.
In related news, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur declared that the PTI sit-in would persist across Pakistan despite the recent crackdown in Islamabad. At a press conference in Mansehra, Gandapur stated that PTI’s protests have always been peaceful and law-abiding.
رینجرز کے ہاتھوں بے دردی سے سیدھی گولیوں کا نشانہ بن کر شہید ہونے والے احمد ولی کو سپرد خاک کر دیا گیا۔#اسلام_آباد_قتل_عام #IslamabadMassacre pic.twitter.com/ChnlueJiij
— PTI (@PTIofficial) November 27, 2024He emphasized that authorities have imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan and alleged that officials stole the PTI’s mandate in the February 8 elections. Despite these challenges, PTI workers encountered violence during their peaceful protests. “Our sit-in will continue until our demands are met,” he asserted while announcing a grant of Rs 10 million to the families of workers who died during the protest.
Gandapur criticized the government’s attempts to quash the peaceful protests and cautioned against further violence against demonstrators.
