PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has declared a three-day mourning period across the province in response to the deaths of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers during a protest in Islamabad, which ended abruptly after a late-night government crackdown earlier this week.
The decision was announced during an emergency session of the KP Assembly, chaired by Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, late Thursday night. Originally scheduled for December 2, the session was convened at 9 p.m. on Thursday in reaction to the Islamabad incident.
Speaker Swati strongly condemned the actions taken against the PTI protesters, accusing authorities of violating fundamental constitutional rights, including the right to peaceful protest. “The Constitution guarantees citizens the right to express themselves and protest peacefully, but these rights have been stripped away by the institutions and those in power,” he asserted.
He further alleged that the crackdown on PTI protesters amounted to “merciless massacres” and provocatively likened it to the situation in Palestine and Israel, claiming it was orchestrated by the federal government.
Swati accused security forces of using snipers against unarmed demonstrators, destroying vehicles, and employing excessive force, including driving over protesters. He also claimed that the bodies of deceased workers were missing and that the number of those unaccounted for was increasing. He lamented that while international media broadcasted these incidents, the Pakistani media remained largely silent.
Drawing historical parallels, Swati said, “We lost East Pakistan [Bangladesh] due to such experiments. They [Bangladeshis] were filmed naked and treated inhumanly, and now the same is being repeated in West Pakistan.”
The deaths of PTI workers have become a contentious issue between the government and the opposition. The federal government has maintained that no fatalities occurred during the law enforcement operation to disperse the PTI marchers.
However, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur alleged on Wednesday—one day after the crackdown—that hundreds of party workers were killed or injured due to “direct fire by law enforcement agencies.”
At least five individuals who were reportedly killed during the action were buried in various parts of KP, with four laid to rest on Wednesday and one on Thursday. Speaker Swati also alleged that both Chief Minister Gandapur and Bushra Bibi were targeted in attempted attacks during the protest. He questioned how the nation could endure what he described as extreme levels of brutality.
