The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has confirmed that at least 12 individuals have died during the Islamabad protest, following earlier claims of a significant death toll.
Speaking at a press conference with Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, PTI’s central spokesperson, Waqas Akram Sheikh, described the government’s actions as unprecedented in Pakistan’s history of protests.
He alleged that reporting journalists about the fatalities during the Islamabad protest have been imprisoned, and that many others remain missing with no information about their whereabouts.
He revealed that while the police are providing some figures, PTI has also gathered its own data on the arrests. “Twelve individuals have died during the protest,” Sheikh confirmed. “The actual number is higher, but we are sharing only the confirmed figures with the media.”
He added that the bodies of the deceased were withheld for three days before being returned to their families.
During the press conference, Sheikh also criticised the government for demanding names and proof of the deaths, as hospitals were pressured not to share lists with the media. Sheikh said demanding the right to protest is not a crime, and a right granted by the constitution. “Our workers were prepared for tear gas and rubber bullets, but not for firearms and bullets,” he said.
“What has the state done to its own people?” Sheikh asked, expressing disbelief at the government’s approach. He also questioned the contradictory statements from ministers, who claim no shots were fired, yet fatalities and injuries continue to be reported. “If no shots were fired, then who is responsible for these deaths?” he asked. He further warned that the government’s heavy-handed tactics would only fuel more hatred and division.
Sheikh also defended the protesters, asserting that they were not terrorists but political party workers, following instructions from PTI’s founding chairman to march towards D-Chowk. “These were brave people, not terrorists. We salute their courage,” he said.
