Attack on PTV building: Court directs IGP to submit detailed report

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday ordered the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to submit a comprehensive report regarding the attack on the state-run TV building by protesters at Constitution Avenue last month.

On September 1, hundreds of protesters of Pakistan Awami Tehreek and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf allegedly stormed and ransacked the PTV headquarters.

IHC Justice Athar Minallah, while hearing a petition by the PTI against the imposition of Section 144 in the capital, directed the IGP to submit a report on October 16 clearly stating how many people involved in the vandalism have so far been arrested.

The judge expressed concern over the non-arrests of the suspects and said that prima facie it seemed that the administration had failed to perform its duties.

The judge observed that the IGP should explain if the police have failed to arrest those responsible.

“It was the prime responsibility of the capital police to arrest those involved in attacking the PTV building, breaking the outer fence of the Parliament House and damaging the Supreme Court building,” the judge remarked.

Since the incident took place, 10 suspects have been arrested by the capital police after weapons were allegedly recovered from their possession. The additional attorney general said a few suspects were in police custody and under interrogation.

However, the judge ordered the IGP to personally inform the court about the exact number of those arrested at the next hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2014.