Police continue manhunt

2,790 PTI workers arrested over agitation in Punjab

LAHORE:

The hunt for PTI workers and leaders continues as the Punjab Police have arrested at least 2,790 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists involved in the agitation against the arrest of PTI chief Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, the process of identifying the suspects involved in the attack on sensitive installations continues, utilising CCTV footage and other sources.

The manhunt for PTI leaders, especially those nominated and involved in the attack on Jinnah House in Lahore Cantonment, also continues. In a recent raid, PTI leader Dr Yasmin Rashid was arrested early in the morning in Lahore, reportedly from a location near Cavalry Ground.

Raids were being conducted to apprehend other PTI leaders, including Mehmoodul Rasheed, Mian Aslam Iqbal, and others.

So far, 152 police officers and officials have been injured in the violent actions of miscreants across Punjab, including 63 officers and personnel from the provincial capital Lahore, 26 from Faisalabad, 13 from Gujranwala, 29 from Rawalpindi, 10 from Attock, five from Sialkot, and six from Mianwali. Additionally, 72 vehicles used by the Punjab police and eight privately owned vehicles were damaged and set on fire. Among these vehicles, 23 were damaged in Lahore, 18 in Rawalpindi, 18 in Faisalabad, eight in Multan, five in Sialkot, three in Gujranwala, and one in Attock.

IGP Dr Usman Anwar stated that criminals involved in attacks on sensitive installations, public and private properties and police teams do not deserve any sympathy.

These miscreants are being identified and traced through CCTV footage, video recordings, and social media posts.

Dr Anwar further mentioned that all individuals involved in vandalism and disruption of peace will be brought to justice, and appropriate punishments will be administered.

Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Friday sent 12 PTI workers to jail on a 7-day judicial remand for the identification parade in a case, registered for damaging state property during a protest after arrest of the party chief. ATC Judge Ahber Gul Khan conducted the case proceedings, wherein the police produced Farhan Kaleem, Muhammad Mohsin Majeed, Muhammad Aslam, Haider Ali, Farooq Shah, Masood Ahmad, Muhammad Rizwan and others.

The investigation officer requested the court to send the accused to jail on judicial remand for an identification parade. However, the defence counsel opposed the request and pleaded for discharging his clients from the case.

The court, after hearing the arguments, accepted the investigation officer's request and sent the accused to jail for the identification parade.

The court held that if the accused were not identified, they would be discharged from the case. The Race Course police had registered a case against the PTI workers for violence that took place after Imran Khan's arrest. The court also sent 14 PTI workers to jail on a 14-day judicial remand in another identical case, registered by the Naseer Abad police. The police produced the accused Adil Amjad, Muhammad Naeem, Mehr Attique, Nauman Munir, Ali Hassan Nawaz, Shahid Fareed, Sarfraz, Muhammad Nadeem and others before the court and submitted that the detainees burnt a container at Kalma Chowk and damaged other properties, during a protest after Imran Khan's arrest. Moreover, the court sent three accused to jail on 14-day judicial remand in a case registered under charges of damaging state properties and terrorism.

The Ghalib Market police produced Waqar Bashir, Usman and Irfan and submitted that the accused burnt a police vehicle and they were arrested from the crime scene.

The ATC also granted interim bail to 41 PTI workers till May 23 in a case registered by Kasur police on the charges of damaging the state property, terrorism and others allegations.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2023.