100s netted in nationwide dragnet against May 9 rioters
Police present before media the suspects arrested for attacking sensitive government installations in Rawalpindi. PHOTO: NNI
RAWALPINDI/LAHORE/KARACHI: Hundreds of people have been arrested in an ongoing crackdown against those involved in the arson and vandalism of government buildings during the violence that followed the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on May 9, officials said on Sunday.
According to senior police officers, 76 more people were arrested from Rawalpindi, while more than 3,000 people had been in custody in various other districts of Punjab. Similarly, police arrested 341 PTI workers across Sindh.
Addressing a press conference, Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Mehmood Hamdani said 264 people had been arrested in 17 separate cases whereas 708 cases were registered over the attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ)
“A total of 76 miscreants have been arrested over the last 24 hours,” Hamdani told reporters. “Raids are under way to arrest more miscreants involved in the riots and vandalism with the help of video footage and human intelligence,” he added.
“Leaders and elements involved in inciting the miscreants (to violence) will also be arrested and all legal requirements are being met to punish them,” he said, adding that around 90 accused already put behind bars were also being investigated.
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The CPO said that people involved in vandalism and arson would be arrested at all costs. He added that raids were being conducted to arrest the leaders of the miscreants.
Police in Lahore arrested PTI leader Mehmoodur Rasheed and several party activists as the authorities continued a manhunt against those involved in the May 9 violence, officials said.
A police team remained at the Services Hospital for the whole day to arrest another PTI leader Dr Yasmeen Rashid, who had been taken into custody three days ago but was moved to hospital after her health deteriorated.
Her condition was stated to be stable, but doctors advised police against her arrest from the hospital. So far, the police said, they had arrested at least 3,186 suspects from different districts of the province.
An advertisement carrying photographs of the suspects identified from the videos and pictures of the attack was also published by the home department. Meanwhile, the law-enforcement agencies conducted flag marches on all the main roads of Lahore.
In Karachi, PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi was arrested on charges of rioting, damaging public and private property, and disturbance of peace, as the crackdown against the miscreants continued.
The police arrested 341 PTI workers amid province-wide crackdown. Sindh Police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon confirmed that over 40 cases had been registered against the arrested persons, under the law provisions relating to terrorism, rioting, and arson.