PTI senators accuse Punjab, capital police of using brutal force against workers.

ISLAMABAD: A Senate panel on Wednesday came down hard on Punjab and Islamabad police for allegedly using excessive force against Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) workers in Lahore and Islamabad respectively.

Senate Standing Committee on Interior, which met here at the Parliament House with PTI Senator Mohsin Aziz in the chair said that police used brutal force against PTI workers in Zaman Park area and in Islamabad.

The committee also played a short documentary to show torture by police against PTI workers in Lahore and Islamabad outside Judicial Complex during the court appearance of PTI chief Imran Khan on March 18.

On the other hand, during the meeting, representatives of Inspector General of Police Punjab and IG Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir Khan told the committee that police did not start action against PTI workers rather, PTI activists attacked the police force.

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The IG Islamabad told the committee that only four first information reports (FIRs) have been registered in Islamabad in connection with the Toshakhana case and subsequent issues.

However, PTI Senator Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry said that 15 FIRs were registered against Imran Khan in Islamabad.

Earlier, the committee discussed the police operation in Zaman Park on March 14 and got a briefing from a representative of Punjab police. Committee members - Senators Walid Iqbal, Saifullah Abro, Faisal Saleem Rahman and Ejaz Chaudhry said that police used brutal force against unarmed PTI workers in Lahore, which is inhumane.

Officers of Punjab police told the committee that PTI activists started attacking police and also used petrol bombs.

Responding to this, the committee members said that police resorted to baton charge and even destroyed vehicles of PTI supporters. Police officials said that their 65 police personnel received injuries.

Meanwhile, Punjab police also showed a video during the committee meeting, stating that PTI worker Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah was not killed by police rather he died in a road accident.

In the video, Zille Shah along with some other workers of PTI, who were arrested outside of Zaman Park, was seen disembarking from the van.

According to police, a 4x4 vehicle hit Zille Shah and later, he was shifted to the hospital in the same vehicle.

Senator Walid Iqbal said that all circumstantial evidence shows that Zille Shah was killed due to torture of police and not by road accident. He...