PESHAWAR — A senior minister from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly criticized the killing of an alleged gunman by security forces near the Pakistan Army's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, raising questions over the authorities' handling of the incident.
According to Rawalpindi police, the suspect, identified as Muhammad Hussain, opened fire at a military check post on Tuesday before being fatally shot in retaliatory gunfire by security personnel.
Police officials subsequently claimed that evidence extracted from the deceased's mobile phone and personal belongings indicated a direct connection to Imran Khan's party, PTI. State-run PTV News, citing security sources, reported that Hussain was a resident of the Khyber district and an "active PTI member." Authorities claimed to have recovered weapons, ammunition, and a PTI flag from the scene.
However, Shafiullah Jan, the Information Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—a province governed by PTI—disputed the official narrative and condemned the suspect's killing. Jan stated that Hussain was reportedly dealing with severe mental health issues and argued that the situation should have been handled differently.
In response to allegations connecting the party to the attack, PTI’s Islamabad regional president, Amir Mughal, categorically dismissed claims linking the political organization to violence. Mughal emphasized that PTI remains committed solely to peaceful and constitutional political movement, flatly rejecting any attempt to associate the party with armed aggression.
The escalation comes amid ongoing political friction in Pakistan, as PTI continues nationwide efforts to mobilize public demonstrations demanding the release of its founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been detained since August 5, 2023.
