RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: At least three sit-in protesters were killed and around 600 injured in clashes with police on Sunday as the government began a full-scale crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) supporters who decided to storm the Prime Minister’s House and managed to enter the premises of Parliament House.

A spokeswoman for Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Dr Ayesha, confirmed that of the three people killed, so far, two were identified as PAT workers while the third one was a resident of Islamabad.

She said that two PAT workers namely Rafiullah died of serious head injuries, while Ghulam Mahmood had injuries seems to be caused with a sharp-edged weapon in the stomach. Both of them succumbed to the injuries during their treatment in the hospital.

She added that Naveed Razaq, a resident of Islamabad, died on his way to hospital as he drowned into a ditch believed to be dug for metro bus project.

Dr Ayesha said that as many as 257 people were admitted to PIMS, of whom 80 were policemen, 36 women and five children. She added that right now 73 people are under treatment, while the rest of them were discharged after giving initial treatment.

She said majority of the protestors shifted to hospital received minor body and head injuries, while some became victim of suffocation due to heavy teargas shelling by the police on the protesters.

She denied of handing over the protesters with minor injuries to police after they were discharged. But, the PTI leaders accused the police of picking up their workers from hospitals.

It is since Saturday, emergency has already been declared in the hospital and almost all the staff members including doctors, paramedics and nurses are dealing with the emergencies.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Federal Polyclinic Hospital, Dr Tanveer Malik, told Business Recorder that around 300 injured have, so far, been shifted to the hospital, of which 44 are security personal, 33 female, 14 children below 12 years.

He added that no critical case has yet been shifted to the hospital while no casualty took place. He said that out of total 300 injured, 80 are still under treatment while the rest have been discharged.