Pak: HRCP alleges excessive use of force, deaths in PTI's Islamabad protest last November; calls for independent inquiry

Lahore [Pakistan], February 5 : According to a Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) fact-finding report, the PTI-led protest in Islamabad on November 26, 2024, claimed the lives of demonstrators and security personnel, despite the federal government's assertions to the contrary.
According to the HRCP, "a high-level fact-finding mission has documented oral testimonies from state representatives, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership, reporters on the ground and the families of seven people who were allegedly killed during the protest."
"The mission is deeply concerned by allegations that the hospital administrations and police withheld the bodies of victims until their families agreed not to pursue any legal action. While the hospital administrations refused to speak with the fact-finding team, accounts from journalists and the families of alleged victims suggest that these hospitals may be concealing information," the HRCP said in a post on X.
According to reports, some demonstrators were armed with pistols, tear gas rounds, and slingshots. At the same time, the government employed "excessive and disproportionate force and showed a glaring lack of competence in handling the protest."
The interior minister was not available to meet with the delegation, despite the mission's efforts to reach him to ask about the use of live ammunition against protesters, cited the report posted on X.
The mission has voiced concern about the complete incident being blacked out by the mainstream media, which could have been the consequence of self-censorship or state pressure. The media ought to have been free to report the facts and evaluate the situation on the ground without interference.
The study calls on the government to promptly declare an impartial, independent investigation into these incidents that includes the PTI, other political parties, and the relatives of the alleged victims.
Meanwhile, Pakistan security forces on November 26 launched a night-time operation Tuesday to disperse thousands of supporters of the country's jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, after the crowd broke through barricades and gathered in the capital Islamabad demanding his release, as per CNN.