Interim Chief Minister of Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, has dismissed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) allegations that Ali Bilal, a PTI worker, died in police custody.
Naqvi, along with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar, held a press conference in Lahore and stated that Bilal died in a car accident, and he will not give in to pressure or propaganda.
Sharing details about the incident collected during the probe, CM Naqvi said that Raja Shakeel — a member of PTI’s central Punjab wing — informed PTI leader Yasmin Rashid that the man was hit by the car.
At this, Yasmin Rashid asked Shakeel to come with her to Zaman Park, and he went with the former health minister leaving the driver in the car, he added.
He said that Yasmin then went to Zaman Park and told Shakeel not to worry.
The CM said that Yasmin told the entire incident to other party leaders and sent Shakeel back from Zaman Park. The driver of the car also changed his appearance by shaving the beard off, he claimed.
CM Naqvi said that Section 144 was imposed in Lahore due to Aurat March.
He added that the elections are set to take place on April 30 in the province and efforts were being made to disrupt the law and order situation. “They [PTI] should have staged their rally a couple of days later,” he said.
He said that all the evidence will first be taken to Bilal’s family. “His father was also offered money to stand his ground, however, he knew that it wasn’t right,” he added.
CM Naqvi also said that the Punjab government will financially help the family. “Don’t level false accusations and mislead everyone,” he added.
Addressing the presser, Punjab IG said that people — who brought Bilal to the hospital in a 4×4 vehicle — have been arrested and would be presented before a court.
“I was informed that the owner of the vehicle, in which the deceased activist was brought to the hospital, is Raja Shakeel,” the IG said.
Shakeel, according to the IG Anwar, left for Zaman Park with Rashid leaving behind the car’s driver Jahanzaib, one of the two people arrested by the police.
The video circulating on social media is fake, he claimed.
“Police have found evidence against claims made by PTI with the hard work of its technical team. The conspiracy has failed,” the police chief said.
“Action will be taken if abuse by police is established,” the IG said.
The IG said that the deceased PTI worker’s father Liaquat Ali had also appealed for an investigation into his son’s death. “Action will be taken if evidence of police torture is found,” the IG assured.
Sharing details of the vehicle involved in the incident, the provincial police chief said, “A video of a black vehicle arriving at the Services Hospital was reported. The vehicle has been recovered from the Waris Shah Road with the help of 31 CCTV cameras and GPS.”
The head of the provincial police department said that the worker’s body was brought to the Services Hospital at 6:52am.
He added that there was no conspiracy to kill the PTI worker. “The Punjab police will share the investigation with [Bilal’s] father. We promise to present all the evidence to Zille Shah’s father.”
He also asserted that all the proof will be presented before the court.
According to PTI, the police attempted to disrupt a gathering of PTI workers at Chairman Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence, leading to clashes with the workers. Horrific images of Bilal’s body, which showed 26 marks of torture, began to circulate on social media after his death.
The PTI Chief, Imran Khan, shared a video on social media showing Bilal being taken away in a police van, claiming that he was killed while in police custody. CCTV footage also emerged showing a private 4×4 vehicle dropping Bilal off at a hospital where he was declared dead.
In response to the incident, an application was submitted to Lahore’s Race Course Police station requesting that an FIR be registered against interim CM Naqvi and Minister for Interior Rana Sananullah for Bilal’s death.
