PTI claims activist killed in police crackdown in Lahore.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said one of its workers was killed and several others injured as police cracked down on protestors on Wednesday, with the caretaker government imposing Section 144 in Lahore to ban public gatherings ahead of a planned PTI rally.

Meanwhile, police sources claimed at least 11 officers - including two deputy superintendents (DSPs) and a Station House Officer (SHO) - were also injured in the clashes with protestors, with one wounded policeman said to be in serious condition. Police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused PTI protestors of resorting to brutal violence and taking the law into their hands.

Caretaker Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi has ordered an immediate investigation into the death of the PTI worker

Speaking about the activist's death, PTI Chairman Imran Khan accused the provincial police of brutally murdering PTI worker Ali Bilal near his residence in Zaman Park.

"Ali Bilal unarmed and our dedicated and passionate PTI worker murdered by Punjab police," the former prime minister said in a tweet.

"Shameful, this brutality on unarmed PTI workers who were coming to attend election rally. Pakistan is in the grip of murderous criminals. We will file cases against IG, CCPO and others for murder," he added.

PTI leaders Farrukh Habib, Azhar Mashwani and Mussarat Cheema reiterated the claims of violence and brutality by the Punjab police on party supporters coming to attend the rally.

"The fascist government has crossed all limits of brutality. An old worker of PTI Ali Bilal was martyred due to police brutality and violence. The imported government has started shedding the blood of [political] workers," Farrukh Habib said in a tweet.

The PTI leaders accused police of torturing its supporters who had come out to protest in the provincial capital. The party further claimed that its 'peaceful' workers were arrested in Lahore soon after reports emerged that the provincial capital had been placed under Section 144, banning public gatherings.

Shortly afterwards, PTI chairman Imran Khan called off the rally alleging that the caretaker admninistration had launched a crackdown on PTI supporters not in the interest of law and order but to avoid elections in Punjab province.

In a video address, Imran told party workers "to return home peacefully" as the government was instigating demonstrators "to resort to chaos, but we will not let them succeed".

Meanwhile, officials of the Punjab police said...