District and sessions court orders FIR against PM, 10 others for death of three protesters

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court ordered on Saturday the registration of an FIR against 11 people, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, over the deaths of three Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers, Express News reported. 

The deaths happened as a result of clashes between the police and protesters in Islamabad on August 31.

Further, the FIR is inclusive of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

The order was made based on a request made by PTI, and also includes the complaint over an incident of alleged firing at PTI chief Imran Khan's 'Azadi bus' during the same clashes.

Prior to the FIR registered on Saturday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had also ordered the registration of an FIR against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) top leadership in connection with the June 17 Model Town incident which resulted in the death of several Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers.

The FIR was finally registered on August 29 against 21 persons, including the prime minister and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, following an announcement made by the defence minister about how the process of lodging the FIR had begun.

Interestingly, the Lahore police utilised its ‘discretionary powers’ and filed the FIR in such a way that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif were spared from either joining the investigation or being immediately arrested.