LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called out the administration for “using force excessively and disproportionately” during the November 26 protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking an independent and impartial inquiry into the events.
“Contrary to the federal government’s claims, the PTI-led protest in Islamabad on 26 November 2024 led to loss of life allegedly among protesters as well as reported deaths among security personnel,” stated a fact-finding report released by the commission on Monday.
The report comes after PTI’s talks with the government collapsed after the former ruling party refused to attend the fourth round of discussions on January 28 over the latter’s failure to form judicial commissions to investigate the events related to the May 9 riots and November 2024 protests.
On November 26, Islamabad witnessed pitched battles between law enforcement agencies and PTI supporters as the latter inched towards the D-Chowk for the party’s ‘final call’ power show amid intense teargas shelling.
However, a late-night crackdown by the government ended in a hasty retreat of the PTI’s top leadership and supporters, following which the party abruptly ended its protest.
The fierce clashes resulted in the martyrdom of at least four Rangers personnel along with two policemen with the former ruling party claiming that 12 of its protesters died. The protests led to arrests and multiple cases being registered against the party workers and supporters.
In today’s report, the HRCP said a high-level fact-finding mission documented oral testimonies from state representatives, the PTI leadership, reporters on the ground and the families of seven people who were allegedly killed during the protest.
“The mission is deeply concerned by allegations that the hospital administrations and police withheld the bodies of victims until their families agreed not to pursue any legal action.
“While the hospital administrations refused to speak with the fact-finding team, accounts from journalists and the families of alleged victims suggest that these hospitals may be concealing information,” it added.
Quoting reports, the commission stated that some protesters carried slingshots, tear gas shells and firearms on occasion. “While the right to peaceful assembly is constitutionally guaranteed, it must remain within the bounds of the law.”
Meanwhile, the report also called out the administration for demonstrating “a clear lack of proficiency in managing the protest and used force excessively and disproportionately”.
“Although the mission attempted to contact the interior minister to inquire about the use of live ammunition against protestors, he was unavailable to meet the team,” it added.
The mission also expressed alarm over the mainstream media’s blackout of the entire event, which may have resulted from “state coercion or self-censorship”. “The media should have been allowed to assess the situation on the ground without hindrance and report the facts,” it stated.
The report urged the government to immediately announce an independent, impartial inquiry into these events, involving the families of the alleged victims, the PTI and other political stakeholders.
