Ali Bilal: Inquiry committee set up to probe death of PTI worker

An inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the death of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf worker Ali Bilal, whom the party claims was murdered at the hands of the police.

A clash between PTI workers and Lahore police took place at Zaman Park a day earlier in which a worker died and other party workers and police officers were injured. PTI leaders claim that the administration is to blame for their party worker's life.

The Punjab home department had imposed section 144 in Lahore due to serious security threats. The clashes occurred while police attempted to disrupt the gathering of the PTI workers at PTI Chairman Imran Khan's residence Zaman Park.

Reacting to the demise of Ali Bilal, Imran Khan had written on his official Twitter handle, asking all PTI representatives across the country to offer funeral prayers in absentia today (Thursday).

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Elite Force Sadiq Ali and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Imran Kashore are part of the committee, the police said.

The inquiry committee will note down the statements of the witnesses and the committee will submit its report to the Punjab inspector-general of police in three days, added the police.

Earlier, the Services Hospital administration had told Geo News that the PTI worker did not die due to a head injury.

'Will go to court if FIR not registered'

Meanwhile, an application was filed Thursday night at the Race Course police station to register a case over the death of Bilal. According to the police, Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan have been nominated in the application.

The police said that Lahore CCPO Bilal Kamyana and sub-inspector Rehan have also been nominated. It was filed on the complaint of the deceased PTI worker's father Liaquat Ali.

Former prime minister Imran Khan's nephew, lawyer Hassaan Khan Niazi, who is representing the deceased worker's father, confirmed the submission of the application during a talk with the media at the police station.

He said that the issue will be taken to court if an FIR is not registered.

Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage came to the fore of the hospital has cast doubt on the allegation.

It can be seen in the footage that two people brought the worker's body to the hospital in a black 4x4 and took him to the hospital's emergency on a stretcher. After examination, the doctor verified the worker's death.

It can also be viewed that the other two people accompanying the body left as the doctor verified the PTI worker dead. The pictures have also come to the fore of those who brought Bilal to the hospital.

PTI worker not killed in custody: CM

The Punjab caretaker CM, meanwhile, had also taken notice of the death of Bilal and claimed that he was not killed in police custody.

According to a spokesperson for the government, the CM had ordered an investigation into the incident and brought all those books responsible for the episode. He had said the videos posted by Imran Khan were old and made during the PTI ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ when the deceased was arrested by the police.

Naqvi said that safe city cameras had captured a private vehicle bringing Ali Bilal to a hospital and that a search for the vehicle and those sitting in it was underway. He said that the matter could only be concluded after a post-mortem and the safe city report were received. 

According to CCTV footage, two people came out of the vehicle and took the PTI worker to the hospital's emergency area on a stretcher. Pictures of the two people who took Bilal to the hospital have also come to the fore, Geo News reported.

The caretaker CM said that 11 police officials including two DSPs and an SHO were injured during the day’s events and claimed that the PTI workers had come armed with sticks and stones. He said DSPs of Sabzazar and Township, and SHO Hanjarwal, constables Irfan, Nadeem, Bilal, Waqar, Abdul Sattar, Ali Ismat, Sikandar, and Ali Hamza were among the injured personnel.