KP Government Declares 3-Day Mourning Over Alleged Police Violence Against PTI Workers in Islamabad
Islamabad:The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has announced a three-day period of mourning following alleged violent actions by law enforcement officers against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters during a protest at Islamabad’s D-Chowk. The decision was made after a special session of the KP Assembly, which was delayed by over an hour on Thursday.
The session was chaired by KP Assembly Speaker, Babar Salim Swati, who accused federal authorities of using excessive force against PTI activists, including firing on party workers and the provincial chief minister. Swati also claimed that PTI leader Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was allegedly targeted in an assassination attempt when she went to Islamabad to demand her husband’s release.
“The violence we witnessed against our workers is reminiscent of the brutal suppression of voices raised for constitutional rights,” said Swati, who linked the ongoing events to historical injustices, including the tragedy of East Pakistan. He emphasized that innocent PTI supporters, some of whom were praying, were brutally attacked and thrown from containers, while others were allegedly killed and their bodies hidden.
The Speaker also criticized the federal government and security agencies for spreading false narratives about the events. “The same tactics used against the people of East Pakistan are being repeated here today,” he added, calling it a disturbing trend.
KP Minister for Law, Aftab Alam, confirmed that the three-day mourning period will begin on November 29, 2024, in solidarity with the victims of violence. “Our workers were subjected to unprovoked attacks, and we stand with them in this difficult time,” Alam said.
The provincial government’s condemnation of the violence and its mourning declaration highlights the growing tensions between PTI and the federal authorities, with further protests expected in the coming days.
