ISLAMABD: Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), earned ire of Aleema Khan, the sister of Imran Khan, on Thursday, for stating that only 12 PTI members were martyred during the protests at D-Chowk.
The argument which started during a hearing at Adiala jail, focused on differing statistics regarding the number of PTI workers who lost their lives during the protest.
Aleema questioned Gohar regarding his claim that only 12 PTI workers had lost their lives during the protest, seeking clarification on the reason for his reference to that particular figure.
Gohar maintained a resolute stance, asserting that the confirmed number of casualties was 12 based on the information at his disposal, and he challenged the reliability of the unverified claim about the death of party workers at the protest site.
Salman Akram Raja, the party secretary general also seconded Gohar, saying the party was actively engaged in gathering all pertinent information regarding casualties.
He assured Aleema that the party would not overlook the issue and would take all necessary measures to gather and confirm all relevant facts regarding the deaths of the workers.
Gohar expressed his disappointment over unverified statistics being disseminated on social media, emphasizing that he could only verify the deaths of 12 individuals and lacked any evidence to indicate that hundreds had perished.
This further infuriated Aleema, prompting her to ask Gohar whether he made any visit to the families of those who had either died or been injured. In response, he mentioned a visit by Raja to the residence of a deceased party worker.
Barrister Raja then asked Aleema, urging her not to label those appearing in court as “missing” and to refrain from spreading unverified information.
Earlier this month, PTI retracted its earlier claim regarding the deaths of hundreds of party workers during the clashes at D-Chowk in Islamabad on November 26, clarifying that only 12 individuals had actually lost their lives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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