Pakistan: Imran Khan slams Punjab CM, IGP for terming death of PTI worker "accident"

PTI chairman Imran Khan took to his official Twitter handle and lashed out at Naqvi and Anwar. He said that these two would have been jailed for lying and insulting the intelligence of Pakistan.

He tweeted, "In any civilised country, these two shameless people would have been jailed not just for lying so blatantly but for insulting the intelligence of our nation. This is what happens when the country is taken over by dangerous duffers who believe everyone is as dumb as them."

In a tweet, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry wrote, "Arshad Sharif's martyrdom cover-up, murderous attack on Imran Khan cover-up and now Ali Bilal Zal Shah's murder. Now cover up is no shame or modesty." PTI leader Shahbaz Gill also criticized Naqvi and Anwar in a tweet and said "Zille Shah's sigh and their smiles, all in front of you."

PTI claimed that party worker Ali Bilal died of police violence and torture after personnel launched a crackdown on party workers and supporters protesting near PTI chief Imran Khan's residence earlier this week, as per the news report.

PTI leaders' reactions come after Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar refuted allegations of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) that the provincial administration was responsible for the murder of its party worker Ali Bilal, The Express Tribune reported.

Anwar said that Ali Bilal's death was an "accident case" and "unfortunately misinterpreted."

The post-mortem examination of the body revealed that Bilal died due to massive blunt trauma to his body, including a skull fracture and intracranial hemorrhaging, as per the news report. The post-mortem examination further added that the PTI worker received 26 injuries to his body, including serious injury to the head.

Speaking at a press conference with Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Usman Anwar said that the evidence "clearly" showed the case was an "accident" and that no person attempted to murder the victim. He further said that the prime suspect looked "tense" in the CCTV footage.

The police official said that the accused tried to "save the victim at one point and take him to the hospital" and added that the interpretation of the incident was rather "misfortunate," The Express Tribune reported.

Anwar said the car involved in the accident was traced through 31 CCTV cameras. Mohsin Naqvi said that his administration was not involved in the incident. He said that the PTI should refrain from levelling "baseless allegations." He called out the PTI leadership for blaming Punjab's caretaker government for Bilal's death, as per The Express Tribune report.

Mohsin Naqvi refuted allegations of instructing the Punjab Police to act against PTI workers. He said that the Punjab IGP would visit Ali Bilal's father and the Punjab government would provide financial assistance to the victim's heirs. (ANI)