Policeman injured during PTI protest in Islamabad dies

ISLAMABAD: The policeman who sustained injuries during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protests in Islamabad succumbed to injuries at the hospital and embraced martyrdom.

According to the Islamabad police statement, the cop identified as Constable Abdul Hamid Shah was “kidnapped” and tortured by miscreants during the protest at 26 No. Chungi, where he was deployed to maintain law and order.

Hamid Shah was a resident of Abbottabad and had been serving in the investigation wing since 1988, police said. The martyred policeman was set to retire in three months.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the incident and expressed his sympathies over the policeman’s death “due to the stone pelting by PTI protesters”.

“PTI has always adopted a path of violence under the guise of protest,” a statement posted by Shehbaz Sharif’s digital media account said on X. “This same political party has attacked the government building and broken the gates of Parliament House in the past,” he said.

The premier directed that “those involved in the incident” be brought to justice.

The interior minister Naqvi said 31 Islamabad police and 75 Punjab police personnel were injured during the clashes with PTI protestors but had not opened fire on them in line with the government’s policy to avoid loss of lives.

Mohsin Naqvi had ordered a high-level inquiry into the involvement of KP policemen in the violent protest, adding that “this has happened for the first time in Pakistan”.

Naqvi had warned of strict action in the coming days against PTI protesters, saying the police had evidence of live firing. He added that a total of 564 individuals were arrested, including 120 Afghans and 11 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police personnel.