CM Shahbaz orders arrest of PML-N MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees

The police has begun conducting raids to trace the whereabouts of the MPA.

FAISALABAD/ LAHORE: In compliance with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s order to arrest Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees, who allegedly attacked a police station in Faisalabad, the police has begun conducting raids.

However, despite efforts, the police are unable to trace the whereabouts of the MPA.

Idrees and his accomplices allegedly attacked Khurarianwala police station in order to free his companions two days ago. Furthermore, they tortured and injured a police Sub Inspector, Riyasat Ali, and other police officials and damaged official property of the station.

The Khurarianwala police has registered a case under various sections of the Anti Terrorism Act and Pakistan Penal Code against nine identified and 50 unidentified men for taking the law in their own hands, damaging the police station, rioting and injuring policemen.

The nine accused have been identified as Zakariya, Muzammal Hussain, Muhammad Shabbir, Muhammad Shafiq, Abu Bakar, Muhammad Asif, Naveed Ahmad and Rana Muhammad Phool.  A politician was also nominated in the FIR but his name was not mentioned.

City Police Officer Dr Haidar Ashraf constituted a two-member fact finding committee, comprising SSP Operation Sahibzada Bilal Umar and SP Jaranwala Arif Shehbaz, to identify and ascertain the role of the MPA in the incident.  Subsequently, the committee identified Idrees as key-accused in the incident.

CM Shahbaz, on the basis of the fact finding committee’s report, had ordered the IG Police to arrest the MPA and all other accused without any delay and discrimination.

The chief minister further urged that the investigation of this case should be transparent.

In another development, Idrees held a meeting with members of the provincial and National Assembly of Faisalabad and told his colleagues that the police are falsely implicating him in this case.

Furthermore, accusing the police for playing in the hands of his political opponents, the MPA urged his colleagues to apprise the chief minister about the real situation and save him from the atrocities of the police.

Government Stance

Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashhood, while speaking to Express News, said that according to an inquiry into the incident, the PML-N MPA was found guilty.

Mashhood said that various agencies were asked to submit a report on the incident and findings revealed that Idrees was guilty of violence.

He told Express News that the PML-N has always upheld the rule of law and there was no pressure on the police by the government.

Mashood also stated that Shahbaz has advised IG Punjab to take action according to the law.