Imran says CM Naqvi, IGP lying about Zille Shah’s death

LAHORE/ ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan rejected a claim of Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Inspector General of Police (IGP) that his party worker Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah was killed in a road accident, saying that “they lied openly before the public”.

Imran Khan appealed to the Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice to form a judicial commission for an investigation into the Zille Shah murder issue.

Khan also demanded the resignation of Punjab interim CM, IGP and others, holding them responsible for violence against his party workers on the rally day in Lahore and for the alleged murder of Zille Shah.

“I ask the ECP to get resignations from the Punjab interim CM, IGP and others, because it is the ECP that appointed them but unfortunately they are not neutral,” said Imran Khan.

“I also demand the resignation of psychopath, he is behind the torture and cover up,” said the PTI chief.

Imran Khan said he saw different pictures of Zille Shah on the social media after he lost his life in police custody. “I never felt such pain before what I felt for Zille Shah,” said Imran while condemning his brutal death.

He said, “Zille Shah was subjected to torture and he was left on the roadside from where a PTI worker took him to the Services Hospital.”

“There had been 60 places on his body where he was subjected to torture,” said Imran, adding that they would bring a witness to the court to testify on this issue.

“A baghal bacha of Zardari was made the interim Punjab chief minister,” Imran Khan said. The ex-PM said the police were responsible for security and protection of citizens. “Today they addressed a press conference and said that Zille Shah was killed in a road accident,” said Imran. “It was a cover up and it was not for the first time.”

He regretted that he was booked in the murder of Zille Shah and today it was said that he was killed in a road accident.

He regretted injustice with the poor masses, saying the victims are booked in (false) cases. “In Pakistan, weak people are being booked. There is a law of jungle in the country,” said the PTI chief, pointing out that efforts were being made to change the evidence.

The PTI chief said that they [the coalition partners] fear of him because they knew that public would come out. “Absconder [Nawaz Sharif] is sitting in London and he has no interest in Pakistan and makes decisions from there,” said Khan, pointing out that Maryam Nawaz asked them to declare Zillle’s murder as a road accident.

“I will continue to fight against these people for Pakistan till the last,” said the PTI chairman. “Remember the faces of these people who tell a lie,” said Khan, criticising the IGP.

Imran announced that he would lead an election campaign rally in Lahore on Sunday (tomorrow) at 2pm, and urged his supporters and workers to participate in the face of the police brutality purportedly committed against the party. He asked how there could be a crackdown on an election rally when the schedule for the Punjab elections was already released. “I know they still want to do something [to find an excuse and] run away from elections,” he said.

Also, reacting to the presser held by CM Naqvi and IGP, the PTI declared on Twitter: “People in power think that they’ll get away with the killing of Zille Shah.” The party stated that there will be justice one day.

“What they don’t understand is that there is a Super Power above them & He is watching everything and IA Insaf Hoga, aaj nahi tou Kal! They will die an even more painful death,” the party tweeted.

PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the provincial government had covered up Arshad Sharif’s killing, assassination attempt on Imran Khan and was now covering up the murder of Zille Shah. “There is neither shame nor modesty,” the politician wrote. He also demanded a judicial investigation into the death of Bilal.

PTI leader Hammad Azhar said that Ali Bilal’s post-mortem and the police’s complaint naming Imran Khan and his associates in the case of the worker’s murder was the “biggest proof” of the interim chief minister’s “lie”.

“This is now an attempt of a third cover-up. Consider Arshad Sharif’s murder, the attack on Imran Khan and Ali Bilal’s killing — what kind of stories have been concocted?”