Police arrest 25 PTI leaders, workers for vandalism

Say mob attacked judicial complex on Imran’s appearance

ISLAMABAD:

Up to 25 PTI leaders and workers have been arrested under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act for attacking, vandalising, and damaging the judicial complex during PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s appearance. A case has been registered at the Ramna police station.

The Islamabad judicial complex houses the banking court and the anti-terrorism court.

Banking court Judge Rakhshinda Shaheen confirmed bail to the PTI chief in the prohibited funding case while ATC Judge Raja Jawad Abbas approved Imran’s interim bail until March 9 in a case regarding violent protests outside the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Four separate police teams have been formed to arrest the other persons identified through the CCTV footage.

Most of the accused who spread unrest and took the law into their hands went into hiding, but the police raids continued till filing of this news story.

According to the police, a case was registered against the PTI leaders and dozens of workers under Section 353/7 of the ATA and other provisions.

The police said some people carrying Kalashnikovs and other weapons had been detained.

The police said teams had been dispatched to different provinces to arrest the accused who tried to attack the judicial complex. The PTI leaders who were leading a mob, police said, incited the people.

“The government property was damaged in the judicial complex while the police strategically prevented any such action in the high court. Now, according to the law, special police teams have been tasked with bringing such elements into the grip of the law in the next 24 hours.”

A senior police officer told The Express Tribune that the federal police had issued strict orders to bring the law-challenging elements to justice.

He said that the identification of the wanted suspects for creating unrest and taking the law into their hands had been completed. “Some people wanted by the police have gone into hiding who are being traced and in the next two to three days the process of arresting all the wanted suspects have be completed.

“Four special raiding police teams have been formed for the purpose.”