Controversial bullets: Pellet, ‘foreign object’ caused two deaths, says report

Slain protesters’ postmortem reports sent to police.

ISLAMABAD:

The postmortem report of two people who reportedly died of bullet wounds in the ongoing clashes between police and protestors at the Red Zone was handed over to police by the administration of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Tuesday.

Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University Vice-Chancellor Prof Javed Akram told The Express Tribune the final postmortem reports of Rafiullah, who sustained a bullet injury on the head and Gulfam Adil, who received bullet wounds on the abdomen have been shared with the police.

According to the report, both men died of bullet injuries---a pellet penetrated one side of Adil’s abdomen and went out rupturing his spleen, liver and other organs while a foreign object entered Rafiullah’s skull which was later retrieved.

“It is too early to say whether it was a live bullet or a rubber bullet before the final report of the forensic laboratory comes in, giving details about the case,” he said.

Injured SSP recovering

Spokesperson of Pims, Dr Ayesha Ishani, said the total number of injured registered at the hospital stands at 310.

Talking about SSP Islamabad Asmatullah Junejo, who was brutally injured by protesters on Sunday, Ihsani said he is still admitted in the Intensive Care Unit and is recovering and stable.

Since Saturday night, 660 injured persons have been admitted at Pims and Polyclinic hospital of which 155 were police personnel, 71 women, 19 children and 415 male protesters both from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, according to hospital sources.

However, out of these, 41 are still admitted in the hospitals but are out of danger.

Dr Tanveer Malik, spokesman for Polyclinic hospital, said on Tuesday the hospital received six injured people taking the toll of the injured registered at the hospital to 350.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2014.