Amidst allegations made by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Punjab Caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir clarified on Thursday that the Punjab Police had received orders not to open fire on protesters during the events of May 9. Minister Mir labeled Imran Khan’s accusations as baseless and fabricated, asserting that the former premier’s claims of police causing casualties were false.
Taking to Twitter, Minister Mir stated, “Imran Khan’s allegations are baseless and pure falsehoods. Accusing the police of causing the deaths of 25 civilians and injuring hundreds through firing is not a white lie but a black one. The orders given to Punjab Police on May 9 were to refrain from firing on the protesters.”
Mir emphasized that there was no possibility of anyone being injured or killed due to police firing, categorically denying Imran Khan’s assertions. The minister warned Imran Khan to desist from making unfounded and false allegations, adding that legal action could be pursued against him for disseminating misleading information.
Earlier, Imran Khan had demanded an inquiry, claiming that at least 25 protesters were killed and hundreds injured as a result of police firing on May 9, which coincided with his arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case.
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Imran Khan further drew a comparison with protests in France, alleging that despite demonstrators hurling petrol bombs at the police, no shots were fired at them. He criticized the media discourse for neglecting the alleged violations of the citizens’ fundamental right to peacefully protest and called for an investigation into the reported deaths of protesters.
In response, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief expressed concern about the current state of the nation, claiming that it had fallen into the hands of “crooks, criminals, and individuals devoid of ethics or morality.” Imran Khan criticized the focus of those in power on suppressing his party through acts of intimidation, while the country faced severe economic crises such as inflation and unemployment.
Imran Khan called on all citizens to raise their voices before it becomes too late, highlighting the need for collective action.
