A three-day-old infant died on Friday evening, allegedly after inhaling teargas fired by police to disperse political activists near Committee Chowk earlier in the day, DawnNews reported.

Father of the deceased infant alleged that his child died after inhaling teargas.

While talking to a private news channel, the father said he held "Imran Khan, Sheikh Rasheed and the government responsible for his child's death".

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, however, held Punjab government responsible for the infant's death and said that he died due to teargas shelling by police.

The Benazir Bhutto Hospital's medical superintendent, however, denied these claims saying, "The infant was brought to the hospital at around 6pm and teargas shelling was not the reason of his death."

“The infant was having difficulty in breathing since morning,” he added.

Medical report of the deceased infant.
Medical report of the deceased infant.

Meanwhile, a district administrative official said the family lives near Gordon College, which is not near to the areas where teargas was used.

The parents, however, claimed that they were delayed due to the teargas shelling while on their way to the hospital.

The political atmosphere in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi turned tense with the PTI calling for countrywide protests on Friday after police stormed a youth convention of the party and arrested activists in the federal capital late on Thursday.

Police used teargas excessively to disperse the protesters on Friday.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
Updated 05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

Ostensibly, the aim is to exert greater control over social media and to gain more power to crack down on activists, dissidents and journalists.
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...