ISLAMABAD - Amid an ongoing confusion over the exact number of deaths of PTI protestors during the operation carried out by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in Islamabad, the Ministry of Interior on Wednesday claimed that no death has been reported so far. The ministry in a statement said one police official and three personnel from the paramilitary Rangers have lost their lives in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, during clashes with the protestors.
A total of 223 personnel from LAEs got injured including 171 from the Punjab and 52 from Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) during the protest march that started from Peshawar over the weekend, it added.
In an operation on late Tuesday night, the LEAs including Rangers, Frontier Constabulary and police had cleared the Red Zone of the capital city from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protestors that had gathered in the area, demanding release of former prime minister Imran Khan.
As of now, no death has been reported, and the claims circulating regarding any such casualties are baseless and unverified, the interior ministry said.
While the protestors had caused damage to both state and private properties as well as loss of lives from the law enforcing agencies, it said, adding that law enforcement took swift action to maintain order and ensure public safety.
“The peaceful resolution of this protest highlights the effectiveness of the professional response of civil administration and the law enforcement agencies in handling such situations,” it also said.
The ministry urged the public and media outlets to “refrain from spreading false and unverified reports” and to cooperate with authorities in maintaining peace, order and harmony within the city.
Speaking to the media during a visit to the ongoing construction site of F-8 Chowk Interchange, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also dismissed claims about numerous casualties of protestors circulating on social media.
“There is a lot of noise about bodies in hospitals, but no one is giving specific details. I ask the protesters to provide the name of even one person who died,” he said, adding that it was hard for them to name a single person.
He underlined that a comprehensive report on the protests would soon be submitted to the Islamabad High Court.
The interior minister also announced that from the first day of next year, no Afghan nationals will be allowed to stay in Islamabad without a no objection certificate (NOC).
“After December 31, anyone Afghanistan national without an NOC will be required to leave Islamabad,” Naqvi said, noting that the government has decided to increase vigilance over foreign residents in the city.