PTI worker Ali Bilal died in car accident: CM Mohsin Naqvi

• Raja Shakeel informed Yasmin Rashid the man was hit by his car: CM. 
• CM says all evidence will be taken to Bilal's family. 
• IG says those who brought Bilal to hospital have been arrested. 

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Rubbishing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) claims that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker Ali Bilal was killed in police custody, the interim Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi Saturday asserted the youth in question died in a car accident.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore along with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar, Mohsin Naqvi vowed not to bow before the pressure and dirty propaganda being perpetrated by the PTI leadership.

The PTI had claimed that Punjab Police killed its worker Ali Bilal — nicknamed Zille Shah — during Wednesday's standoff with the PTI protestors at Zaman Park.

On Wednesday, Punjab Home Department imposed Section 144 in Lahore citing serious security threats for seven days. The clashes occurred as police attempted to disrupt the gathering of the PTI workers at PTI Chairman Imran Khan's residence. 

Horrific images of the body of the PTI worker in Lahore began circulating on social media. Later, more details of Bilal’s death began to surface, including CCTV footage of a private 4X4 vehicle, which can be seen dropping Bilal at a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Timeline of incident

The Punjab government has also issued a timeline of the incident, sharing details about the escape of PTI workers from the police van and the arrival of the private vehicle at the Services Hospital.

Sharing details about the incident collected during the probe, CM Naqvi said that Raja Shakeel informed PTI leader Yasmin Rashid that the man was hit by the car.

At this, Yasmin Rashid asked Shakeel — a member of PTI’s central Punjab wing — to come with her to Zaman Park and he went with the former health minister leaving the driver in the car, he added.

He said that Yasmin then went to Zaman Park and told Shakeel not to worry.

The CM said that Yasmin told the entire incident to other party leaders and sent Shakeel back from Zaman Park. "The driver of the car also changed his appearance by shaving the beard off," he added. 

He added that the elections are set to take place on April 30 in the province and efforts are being made to disrupt the law and order situation. "They should have staged their rally a couple of days after," he added. 

CM Naqvi said that Section 144 was imposed due to Aurat March.

He added that all the evidence will first be taken to Bilal's family. "His father was also offered money to stand his ground, however, he knew that it wasn't right," he added.

CM Naqvi also said that the Punjab government will financially help the family.

"I am accused of murder, is it that easy to level murder accusations on someone?" he said, adding that the PTI is openly requesting to file an FIR for the murder.

"Don't make false accusations and mislead everyone," he added.

Addressing the presser, Punjab IG said that all these people — who brought Bilal to the hospital in a 4x4 vehicle — have been arrested and would be presented before a court.

"I was informed that the owner of the vehicle, in which the deceased worker was brought to the hospital, is Raja Shakeel," the IG said.

Shakeel, according to the IG Anwar, left for Zaman Park with Rashid leaving behind the car’s driver Jahanzaib, one of the two people arrested by the police.

The video circulating on social media is fake, he claimed.

"Police have found evidence against claims made by PTI with the hard work of its technical team. The conspiracy has failed,” the police chief said.

“Action will be taken if abuse by police is proven,” the IG said.

The IG said that the deceased PTI worker’s father Liaquat Ali had also appealed for an investigation into his son’s death.

“Action will be taken if evidence of police torture is found,” the IG assured.

Sharing details of the vehicle involved in the incident, the provincial police chief said: “A video of a black vehicle arriving at the Services Hospital was reported. The vehicle has been recovered with the help of 31 CCTV cameras and GPS from the Waris Shah road.”

The head of the provincial police department said that the worker’s body was brought to the Services Hospital at 6:52am.

He added that there was no conspiracy to kill the PTI worker. “The Punjab Police will share the investigation with [Bilal's] father. We promise to present all the evidence to Zille Shah’s father.”

He also asserted that all the proof will be presented before the court.

Cover-up

Reacting to the presser held by CM Naqvi and IG Punjab, PTI — taking to its Twitter — wrote that the “people in power think that they'll get away with the killing of Zill e Shah”.

The party stated that there will be justice one day.

“What they don't understand is that there is a Super Power above them & He is watching everything and IA Insaf Hoga, aaj nahi tou Kal! They will die an even more painful death,” the party tweeted.

PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that the provincial government has covered up Arshad Sharif’s killing, the assassination attack on Imran Khan, and is now covering up the murder of Zille Shah. “There is neither shame nor modesty,” the politician wrote.

PTI leader Hammad Azhar said that Ali Bilal’s post-mortem and the police’s complaint naming Imran Khan and his associates in the case of the worker’s murder is the “biggest proof” of the interim chief minister’s “lie”.

“This is now an attempt of a third cover-up. Consider Arshad Sharif’s murder, the attack on Imran Khan, and Ali Bilal’s killing — what kind of stories have been concocted?”

Police committee formed to probe death

Moreover, a request was also submitted at Lahore's Race Course Police Station for registering a first information report (FIR) against interim CM Naqvi and Minister of Interior Rana Sanaullah for Bilal's death.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamiyana and Sub-inspector Rehan were mentioned in the application submitted by Bilal's father Liaquat Ali.

The police formed also a committee to probe Bilal’s death on Thursday comprising Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Elite Force Sadiq Ali and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Imran Kashore.

What had happened?

Not long after the PTI's rally to launch its election campaign was called off following clashes between the party's workers and the police, graphic images of Ali's body began circulating on social media.

The PTI worker died on the day the Punjab Home Department had imposed Section 144 in Lahore citing serious security threats for seven days. The clashes between the police and PTI workers occurred as the former attempted to disrupt their gathering at Imran Khan's Zaman Park residence.

Following the PTI worker’s death, “Zille Shah”, “Ali Bilal” and "Black Vigo” began trending on Twitter and other social media platforms, while horrid details of Bilal’s death began surfacing.

A CCTV footage of a private 4X4 vehicle also emerged in which two men — in plain clothes — were seen dropping the slain worker at a hospital in Lahore where he was pronounced dead.

According to the post-mortem report, the victim had 26 marks of torture on his body.

The police, in the wake of the incident, formed an inquiry committee to probe Ali’s death.

Meanwhile, the PTI also filed a request seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR) against caretaker CM Punjab, Minister for Interior Rana Sananullah for Ali's death.

On the other hand, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Bilal Siddique Kamiyana and Sub-Inspector Rehan were named in an application submitted by Ali’s father.