Daily Times

The PTI said on Wednesday that one of its workers was killed in Lahore as police launched a crackdown on those participating in the party’s rally following the imposition of Section 144.

The party workers and supporters were taken into custody from the Zaman Park area where PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s residence is located, after the Punjab Home Department imposed Section 144 – banning public rallies ahead of the PTI’s election campaign and Aurat March, which were planned for Wednesday. In a press conference, PTI leader Farrukh Habib said that a party worker, Ali Bilal, is “lying in Services Hospital” and demanded an explanation from Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. He claimed that the interim government wanted to “shed blood” and accomplished its mission.

PTI leaders claimed that the administration is to blame for their party worker’s death. The Services Hospital administration told Geo News that the PTI worker sustained an injury to his head, while the reason behind his death is yet to be determined.

The party, which had decided to kick off its election campaign on Wednesday, had planned to take out a rally from Zaman Park to Data Darbar. PTI Chairman Imran Khan and other leaders were also expected to be in attendance. However, the party later decided to dedicate the demonstration to the judiciary and postponed the launch of its canvassing drive until Saturday. Prior to the start of the rally, the Punjab Home Department had asked PTI leaders to take “extra precaution”, saying that such public gatherings in the face of security threats were “not advisable”.

Shortly after, the government had proceeded to impose Section 144 in Lahore. Officials had also taken scores of PTI workers into custody for violating the ban and used water cannons in an effort to disperse them which had led the PTI chairman to call off the rally.

In a tweet after calling off the rally, Imran said that party worker Ali Bilal was “murdered by Punjab police”. “Shameful, this brutality on unarmed PTI workers who were coming to attend an election rally. Pakistan is in the grip of murderous criminals,” he said, adding that the party would file cases against the Punjab inspector general, the Lahore capital city police officer (CCPO) and others for “murder”. In a second tweet, Imran shared a video of Bilal, adding that it showed that the PTI worker was alive while being transported to the police station. “So he was killed while in police custody – such is the murderous bent of the present regime and the Punjab police,” he said.

Earlier in a notification, the Home Department observed that number of rallies and protests are held therein on daily basis at different places of Lahore, which not only pose serious security threats but also disrupt traffic and cause inconvenience to the public at large. There is also a history of terrorist activities in the rallies and protests, wherein, a number of police officials and civilians embraced shahadat, it noted. “Hence, in the context of the prevailing overall security situation in the wake of the recent wave of terrorism and latest threat alerts, it has been necessary to impose Section 144 of Cr.P.C, 1898 on holding of all kinds of assemblies, gatherings, sits-in, rallies, processions, demonstrations, jalsas, dharnas, protests and such like other activities across the district Lahore to avert any untoward incident,” the notification added issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Shakeel Ahmed.

The order stated that due to prevailing threats, it is essential to ensure the security of the people and installations/buildings against any potential terrorist or untoward activity, in the larger interest of public safety, security, peace and tranquillity.