Wed Dec 04 09:04:21 UTC 2024: ## Pakistan Government Denies Deaths of PTI Protesters, Families Dispute Claim

**Islamabad, Pakistan** – A week after violent clashes between supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and security forces in Islamabad, a stark disagreement persists over the number of casualties. While the government insists no protesters were killed, families of at least four PTI supporters have provided Al Jazeera with death certificates and accounts contradicting this claim.

The PTI claims at least 12 supporters died during the November 26th protests, many from gunshot wounds. The government, however, through Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, has categorically denied any deaths, dismissing the PTI’s claims as “politics of jokes and lies.” Tarar cited statements from Islamabad’s major hospitals as evidence.

Al Jazeera’s investigation reveals a different story. The families of several deceased protesters, including Anees Shehzad, Mobeen Aurangzeb, Malik Sadar Ali, and Mohammad Ilyas, shared their experiences with Al Jazeera. Their accounts detail injuries sustained during clashes with security forces, difficulties retrieving bodies from hospitals, and alleged pressure to sign affidavits preventing legal action.

Shehzad’s death certificate lists a pelvic injury and gunshot wound as the cause of death. His family recounted the struggle to reach the hospital and the shock of his death. Similarly, Aurangzeb’s family described frantic efforts to locate him after his phone call was abruptly cut short, only to learn he had been shot. Both families, along with others, allege hospital authorities delayed releasing bodies and attempted to pressure them into signing statements absolving security forces of blame.

One death certificate, that of Sadar Ali, indicated a firearm injury to the head. His brother recounted the pressure exerted by law enforcement to prevent him from filing a police report. Another, Mohammad Ilyas, was allegedly killed in a hit-and-run incident involving security vehicles.

Despite the government’s denial and alleged pressure tactics, the families remain steadfast in their support for Imran Khan and the PTI, highlighting the deep political divisions within Pakistan. Al Jazeera reached out to several government officials for comment but received no response. The conflicting accounts leave a critical question unanswered: how many lives were lost during the Islamabad protests?

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