ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police claimed on Friday that they foiled an armed attack on three prison vans carried out by assailants to free Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, government officials, and cops detained in the D-Chowk demonstration case.
The unidentified attackers carried out a gun attack on three prison vans transporting "82 accused, including PTI members of provincial assembly (MPAs), government officials, and policemen, to Attock jail" after a court hearing, the police added.
One of the prison vans was transporting PTI MPAs Anwar Zaib, Liaquat, and Yasir Qureshi.
The PTI lawmakers among other inmates managed to flee from the prison vans following the armed assault, however, they were rearrested by Islamabad cops.
The armed attack occurred at Sangjani Toll Plaza, the police sources said, adding that it was like an ambush as the armed men had already taken position before the arrival of the vans at the toll plaza.
The attackers burst tyres of the vans and later opened fire on the cops, leaving four policemen wounded who were swiftly shifted to the hospital.
The pictures of the incident, obtained by Geo News, showed that a police mobile van in the prison vans’ convoy was also damaged in the attack.
Following the armed attack, Inspector General (IG) Islamabad Police Ali Nasir Rizvi told Geo News that 82 prisoners were present in the prison vans who were being transported to Attock jail after being produced before a court in the federal capital.
He said that all inmates, who fled after the attack, have been rearrested as police foiled the bid to escape. Rizvi confirmed that the fleeing inmates also include two MPAs who have also been taken into custody again.
An Islamabad police spokesperson said that senior officers along with heavy contingents rushed to the scene and search operations were launched in different areas to nab the culprits.
On the other hand, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram blamed the Islamabad police for "using these tactics to file more fake cases against the party workers".
In a statement, Akram claimed that more than 80 party affiliates were produced before a court for the hearing of a case filed at Sangjani Police Station today.
The court discharged all PTI workers in the case, he added.
The Imran Khan-founded party's spokesperson claimed that the inmates were being brought to Attock jail and their prison vans were taken to Chungi Number 26, adding that all of them were booked in another case lodged at Secretariat Police today.
Rejecting the police claims of facing an armed attack, Akram alleged that a station house officer (SHO) and other cops shattered window glass of a police mobile van and prison vans after taking out all inmates.
He claimed that the PTI inmates were asked to run away, however, they refused to flee.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur termed the Sangjani incident “a drama staged by the fake government and the Islamabad police” to show that the prisoners were fleeing.
The KP chief executive gave a warning to the Islamabad authorities, saying that the arrested persons must be transported safely, otherwise, interior minister, IG, DIG, and other senior officers would be held responsible.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar blamed the major opposition party for orchestrating the “armed attack on prison vans” carrying 83 detainees near Sangjani Toll Plaza.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad today, he claimed that up to 30 persons in four cars attacked the vans to help the detainees escape police custody which had successfully repulsed the attack. Two police personnel got injured, but all those who tried to flee had been re-arrested.
He confirmed that four assailants have been arrested alongside the seizure of weapons and two cars used in the attack.
Rejecting PTI spokesperson’s claims that the attack was staged by police, Tarar termed the party’s reaction “ludicrous” and said that the authorities had the CCTV footage of the attack.
Tarar said rest of the assailants and their cars were being traced and would be taken into custody soon. All those involved in the planning and abetment of the attack would face the law, he added.
Several PTI leaders, as well as the party founder Imran Khan's sisters, had been detained during the protest demonstration in Islamabad on October 4.
However, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad granted bail to Khan's sister — Aleema Khan and Uzma Khan — in the D-Chowk protest case registered at the Kohsar Police Station earlier today.
The former ruling party launched its anti-government campaign for the “independence” of the judiciary and the release of the former prime minister from jail.
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