Rawalpindi violence: Punjab govt forms fact-finding panel

Pindi commissioner, police warned against sectarian unrest: intelligence report.

RAWALPINDI:

Punjab government has constituted a Fact-Finding Committee (FFC), a joint investigation team and a judicial commission to probe into the Raja Bazaar violence on November 15 and punish those who have showed criminal negligence.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said it was a conspiracy to produce a law and order situation in Punjab. “The government will investigate into the incident thoroughly and will make the reports public,” he said.

The minister said the FFC would fix responsibility for those who showed criminal negligence on the day. “It will review the duties of commissioner, CPO, DCO and other police officers and will prepare its report within seven days,” he added.

He said a joint investigation team would also investigate the sectarian incident in light of the FIR registered. Action will also be taken against those who ran away from their duties, the law minister added.

Sanaullah said that the judicial commission led by Lahore High Court Judge Justice Mamoon Rasheed Sheikh would also probe into the incident and present its report to the chief minister.

“Another committee has also been set up, which will assess the damage to public property within 48 hours and produce its report,” he said, adding that the traders would be compensated in light of the assessments.



Intelligence report handed to FFC

Later on Monday, the intelligence report of the expected violence on the day of Ashura was handed over to the Fact-Finding Committee.

According to the report, the Rawalpindi commissioner and the regional and city police officers were informed, three times in writing, about the expected unrest. The reports were prepared by the Special Branch and other intelligence agencies before Ashura.

The FFC formally started investigation in Rawalpindi incident and will visit the site of clash today (Tuesday). The committee will be handed over videos and media footage of the incident.  

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2013.