Brazil-made shells recovered from PTI protesters in Attock: DPO
The District Police Officer (DPO) of Attock Ghias Gul revealed that Brazilian-made tear gas shells were recovered from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protesters, which are not available in Pakistan.
In a press conference held in Rawalpindi, the DPO stated that attempts were made to stop the protesters in Attock, leading to clashes and several arrests, Express News reported.
"The protesters fired at police officers during a roadblock in Attock, and weapons, including tear gas shells and guns, were found in the seized items," he said.
The DPO mentioned that 8% of the protesters were associated with a military wing, and police personnel were subjected to violence, with stones being thrown at their heads. A total of 147 police officers were injured, with 25 in critical condition.
He added that 89 detainees would soon be identified to determine whether they are locals or foreigners, and to investigate their handlers. The protesters were found to be using wireless communication to block police communication, and many were wearing bulletproof vests.
During the press conference, the DPO also displayed the seized items, which included helmets, jackets, weapons, and other materials.
Govt refutes PTI claims of protest deaths
The federal government on Sunday rejected the PTI "propaganda" to hide their failure in the Islamabad march last week, and accused Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur of using the provincial assembly platform to "distort facts and spread blatant lies".
In a statement and a separate press conference, interior ministry and Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, revealed that fugitive PTI leader Murad Saeed was leading a the 'vanguard group' of roughly 1,500 hardcore fighters to attack the law-enforcement agency (LEA) personnel.
The PTI started its march towards Islamabad on November 24, led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Bushra Bibi, wife of PTI founder Imran Khan. Two days later, the marchers reached Islamabad's D-Chowk but fled after the authorities launched a crackdown. Both Gandapur and Bibi fled from the scene.