RAWALPINDI -  A 60-year-old man, who had sustained a critical head injury during the police operation against protesters at the Faizabad Interchange, died at Benazir Bhutto Hospital on Sunday morning, taking the death toll to seven.

As many as eight other injured were still being treated at three Allied Hospitals (AHs), sources said. The Rescue 1122 brought two wounded police officials from Police Lines Number 1 to the BBH while an injured man with rubber bullet injuries in the abdomen was also admitted to the emergency ward of the BBH.

According to sources, the death toll of the Faizabad operation reached seven as Mohammad Zahoor, a resident of Banni, died at the BBH on Sunday morning.

Zahoor had sustained the head injury during a baton charge by law enforcement agencies against Faizabad protesters.

The hospital administration, however, refused to comment on the death of the old man.

The two policemen brought to the BBH by the Rescue 1122 from the Police Lines were identified as assistant sub inspectors (ASIs) Sajjad Ali and Muhammad Ayub.

According to a paramedic, the cops were injured during clashes with the protesters of Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) on Saturday night but they had been shifted to Police Lines Number 1 where they got the first aid. “Both the police officers have sustained injuries in the legs,” he said.

On the other hand, doctors were struggling to save the life of some critically injured persons who have suffered bullet injuries during clashes between the law-enforcers and TLYR activists.

Qamar Sultan, 30, was also brought to the BBH for a rubber bullet injury in his lower parts of the body. He was admitted to the urology department of the hospital for treatment. 

Muhammad Waqas, 25, a resident of Chaklala, was also hospitalized for a bullet injury in his right side of the stomach. “Doctors say that the bullet cannot be removed as it required a major surgery which will be done in a day or two but I am feeling better,” he said while talking to The Nation.

He said that he was going home from Shamsabad when guards of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan opened indiscriminate fire and a bullet hit him. He said that he was injured at 11:15 am on Saturday but shifted to the hospital after two hours.

Muhammad Ramzan, 35, a resident of Kasur, said that he was injured on Saturday during a clash with law-enforcers but he would go back to Faizabad after getting treatment. He said that his friends were there and they were also injured and shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

At the Holy Family Hospital (HFH), two patients were still under treatment for bullet injuries in their abdomen. They were identified as Shakeel Ahmed, 30, and Muhammad Azhar, 35. Doctors said that they were out of danger.

A doctor at the HFH told The Nation that they have received more than 13 injured on Saturday and except two, rest of the wounded were discharged after treatment.

At the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital, doctors received the body of a man identified as Muhammad Adeel, who hailed from Attock.

DHQ Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Khalid Randhawa told the media they had received one body but no injured had been brought to the hospital.

He said the hospital had made arrangements to deal with emergencies and separate beds had been in the emergency ward.

Train service between Rawalpindi and Lahore was suspended after protesters stopped a train in Wazirabad.

Meanwhile, the funeral of six activists of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah and the Pakistan Sunni Tehreek was held in different parts of the city here on Sunday.

The six activists of TLYR and PST were killed after police and paramilitary forces carried out the operation to disperse them from Faizabad Interchange. Hundreds of people attended the funeral prayers. Later on, the bodies were dispatched to their native towns for burial.

Addressing the participants of the funeral, Sarwat Qadri condemned the use of brutal police force against innocent activists of the sit-in at Faizabad. 

He said the blood of “martyrs” would not go waste and the government would have to answer for the barbarianism. He said the use of force would not stop the lovers of the Prophet (PBUH) from continuing their mission. “The federal law minister committed a crime by making an attempt to abolish the Khatam-e-Nabuwat (PBUH) declaration for electoral candidates. He will have to resign,” he said. He said the police and other paramilitary forces opened indiscriminate fire on unarmed activists of the TLYR and the PST killing more than eight workers. He said the government should form a judicial commission to probe the Pindi massacre. He also urged the Supreme Court to ask from the rulers as to who ordered them to open fire on the TLYR activists.

Sarwat Qadri said all processions of Eid Miladun Nabi (PBUH) would march on Islamabad if the rulers did not change their wrong policies.

Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of other activists including Jamia Muhammadia Ghausia Zia ul Aloom Saddar’s student Hafiz Muhammad Adeel, Ashir Kamran, Irfan Mehmood and Imran Mehmood were also held here and their bodies were dispatched to their native towns Pindi Gheb, Sihala, Mandi Bahauddin and Kahuta respectively.

On the other hand, Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri offered the funeral prayer of an unknown deceased at Faizabad Bridge.

Addressing the protesters, Pir Qadri alleged the activist was martyred outside the residence of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and the government should lodge a case against the killers under terrorism charges.

He and other speakers also lashed out at Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal for his statement that India was backing the TLYR protesters. They alleged that Indian agents were being hired in factories owned by Nawaz Sharif. They said the reports of intelligence agencies that 10 to 12 activists of TLYR were having guns have proved wrong as no policeman was killed or injured with bullets rather police killed the innocent workers of religious parties with bullets.

They urged the government to fire officials of spy agencies from service for submitting reports which were based on lies.