Salman Akram Raja denies PTI link to man killed in Rawalpindi

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has denied any known connection between the party and the man who was killed during a security incident in Rawalpindi, saying the party does not know which group the deceased belonged to or what actions he may have been involved in.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has denied any known connection between the party and the man who was killed during a security incident in Rawalpindi, saying the party does not know which group the deceased belonged to or what actions he may have been involved in.

Speaking about the incident, Raja said PTI was a peaceful political party and strongly opposed terrorism. He stressed that the party had never had any connection with terrorist activity and was pursuing its political struggle within the framework of the Constitution and law.

“We do not know which group the man who was killed in Rawalpindi belonged to or what his actions were,” Raja said, according to reports.

His comments came after a man was killed following an incident involving gunfire at security personnel on Mall Road in Rawalpindi. Police said a suspect opened fire on security forces, injuring a member of a patrol team before the suspect was killed.

The incident has sparked a political dispute over the identity and political affiliation of the deceased.

PTI leader Shafi Jan separately claimed that the man killed on Mall Road was a PTI worker. The claim contrasts with Raja’s statement that he did not know which group the deceased belonged to. The differing statements have added to questions surrounding the man’s identity and alleged activities.

Raja also rejected any suggestion that PTI was involved in violent activity, saying the party was committed to pursuing its political objectives through constitutional and legal means.

On the possibility of negotiations with the government, the PTI secretary general said there was currently no government offer on the table. However, he maintained that the party had never rejected negotiations on principle.

Raja was also questioned about PTI Senator Shumail Yousafzai. He explained that she had not been removed from the party because the leadership did not want to create further divisions within PTI. He claimed that Yousafzai was not acting alone and had a group of people supporting her.

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi incident has become part of a broader political debate over security, terrorism and the role of political parties in Pakistan. Government officials and opposition figures have offered sharply different interpretations of PTI’s political conduct.

The conflicting claims regarding the deceased man’s affiliation are likely to keep the issue in the spotlight as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the Rawalpindi shooting and determine the identity and background of the person who was killed.