12 confirmed dead in Islamabad protest, says PTI’s Omar Ayub 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub on Sunday said that 12 people were killed during the party’s protest in Islamabad, while over 200 PTI workers were still missing. 

Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar alongside PTI leaders Asad Qaiser, Shibli Faraz, Sheikh Waqas Akram, and others, Omar Ayub alleged that more than 5,000 PTI workers had been detained in recent weeks. 

“The PTI’s founder (Imran Khan) has formed a committee for negotiations with the government and it will engage with anyone willing to hold talks,” he said.

He called for the immediate release of detained PTI workers and demanded a judicial inquiry into both the May 9 incidents and the alleged use of live ammunition by security forces against PTI workers on November 24. 

He warned that “if these demands were not met, the party would launch a civil disobedience movement.” 

PTI leader Shibli Faraz said that the party’s mandate was stolen in the February 8 elections and accused authorities of compounding errors to cover up past mistakes. 

The controversy over the number of fatalities during the protest has also sparked internal tensions within PTI.

Reports emerged of a heated exchange between PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Barrister Salman Akram Raja and PTI chief Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, at Adiala jail during a trial. 

Aleema Khan reportedly confronted Barrister Gohar over his statement that 12 lives were lost during the protest, questioning why he limited the number to 12.

Gohar defended his stance, stating that the figures were based on verified information and could not be adjusted without confirmation. 

However, Aleema Khan remained insistent and questioned Gohar sarcastically, “Do you even know how many people are missing? Did you even visit the houses of the deceased”?

Barrister Gohar replied we have established teams and are working on finding the exact number and we just cannot say that thousands of people have been killed. Salman Akram Raja also agreeing with Barrister Gohar asked Aleema Khan to stop claiming that even those who are in jail and appearing before the court as ‘missing’.