Punjab Inspector General Dr Usman Anwar has dismissed claims by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that the provincial administration was involved in the murder of Ali Bilal, a PTI worker who died during a protest near PTI chief Imran Khan’s residence. According to the post-mortem report, Bilal died due to massive blunt trauma to his body, including a skull fracture and intracranial hemorrhaging, and received 26 injuries to his body, including serious head injuries.
During a press conference with Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Anwar said that the evidence “clearly” showed the case was an “accident” and that the prime suspect looked “tense” in the CCTV footage. The police official added that the accused tried to “save the victim at one point and take him to the hospital” and that the interpretation of the incident was rather “misfortunate”.
Naqvi stated that his administration was not involved in the incident and that the PTI should refrain from levelling “baseless allegations”. He called out the PTI leadership for blaming the caretaker government for Bilal’s death and stated he would not give in to pressure from ‘curses and tweets’. Naqvi categorically denied claims of instructing the Punjab police to act against PTI workers and added that the Punjab IGP would personally visit Ali Bilal’s father and the Punjab government would provide financial assistance to the victim’s heirs.
Naqvi deplored former health minister and PTI leader Yasmin Rashid’s press conference which targeted police and the administration despite knowing the “facts of the event”. He alleged that Bilal’s father was offered money to back the false narrative behind his death.
The PTI has filed a first information report with murder charges on the basis of assumptions, which Naqvi called “too much”. He objected to the PTI’s decision to hold a rally on the day when the Aurat March and other gatherings were occurring in Lahore. Naqvi said elections in Punjab were soon and that any law and order issues would hinder peace.