- Advisor to PM says party’s claims about alleged death toll would cause a backlash for it
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political and Public Affairs Rana Sanaullah has said that the “official number” of deaths of PTI workers in the Islamabad protest did not reach double figures, as compared to the various figures coming out from the party.
The day of severe clashes between security forces and PTI protesters across the federal capital culminated in a hasty retreat of the party’s top leadership and supporters from the Red Zone in the early hours of Wednesday.
At least six lives were lost in the three days of protests, including a policeman and three Rangers officials knocked down by a speeding vehicle, officials and hospital sources said. Claims and counter-claims over deaths purportedly caused by law-enforcement action against the PTI marchers remained a major bone of contention between the government and the opposition party on Wednesday.
Speaking during an interview with a private news channel, Sanaullah said: “I think the official number is around four to five. Three dead bodies were confirmed who had funerals, according to reports. There could be two or three more. But double-figures are not observed.”
Sanaullah said the PTI’s claims about the alleged death toll would cause a backlash for the party.
“The kind of perception that PTI leaders are making, that is not possible. The reason for that is there might definitely have been some loss [of life] as six to eight personnel of law enforcement agencies were martyred so it is no big deal if political workers were hit.”
He claimed that “15,000-20,000” protesters were brought from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by PTI leaders, saying “damages” from the crackdown operation might have been high enough as the figures being quoted by the PTI if the demonstrator had remained at the protest venue.
Sanaullah said PTI leaders fled when the shelling began despite attempts by workers to stop them.
“No such violence happened there that would have caused 20, 100, 200 or more deaths. This is PTI propaganda.”
He added that the call for the protest itself was wrong. “PTI founder put the party, workers and the leaders in an awkward situation where they could not have been successful.
