GT Road rally: Child dies after being run over by Elite Force vehicle

GUJRAT: A child lost his life on Friday after he was run over by an Elite Force vehicle part of Nawaz Sharif's convoy in Lalamusa, confirmed police.

Nine-year-old Ahmed Chughtai, a student of grade 6, was standing on the lane-divider to watch Nawaz's convoy pass by, when he was reportedly pushed towards the road moments before the Elite Force vehicle passed.

"Nawaz Sharif killed my child," said the grieving mother of the boy.

The boy's father suffered a heart attack after hearing news of his child's death. The father was admitted in an ICU of a local hospital. 

The protocol vehicles did not stop after the child was run over, according to sources. Rescue 1122 vehicles were also part of the convoy but did not stop to assist the child, reported Geo News. 

The child's uncle claimed that Chugtai was lying on the ground suffering and nobody stopped to help him.  

"The vehicle tried to brake but could not stop in time. We have issued instructions to arrest the driver of the vehicle and will pursue the case as per law," said a senior police official deployed in the area. 

However, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed the child was not run over by a vehicle in Nawaz's convoy, but was hit by "some other vehicle which was joining the convoy".

"We have demanded an inquiry report on the incident from the local administration. Compensation will be paid to the affected family," said Sanaullah. 

DPO Gujrat Sohail Chatta said an FIR has been registered and the police has identified the driver of the vehicle. 

The relatives of the child protested and blocked GT Road by putting Chughtai’s body in the middle of the road. 

Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, expressed grief at the death of the child. 

She added in her tweet that the local leadership of the party had been asked to reach out and assist the grieved family "without delay". 

Reacting to the sad incident, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique called the death of a child as a ‘martyr of democracy’.

Funeral prayers offered

Funeral prayers for the nine-year-old Ahmed Chughtai, who was run over by an Elite Force vehicle part of Nawaz Sharif's convoy in Lalamusa, were offered on the GT Road on Saturday morning.

Minister of State for Ports and Shipping Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, as well as other ministers, attended the funeral prayers for the child.