ISLAMABAD: A man was taken into police custody after a weapon was recovered from his possession while he was entering the lower courts on Saturday, police said.

The man was stopped by police deployed at the entrance of the district and sessions courts, police said, and a 9mm pistol was recovered from him during a search.

They said the man, a Rawalpindi resident, was taken into custody and shifted to the Margalla police station for further legal action.

During the interrogation, he told the police he came to the courts to meet a lawyer in connection with a case. Police said further investigations to check and verify the man’s status are ongoing.

Separately, police and Rangers, accompanied by other security agencies carried out search operations in the Faizabad, Sabzi Mandi and Noon village areas, and arrested 53 suspects including four Afghan nationals, police said.

Several houses and bus stands were searched and, in addition to the arrests, the police also recovered 1.4 kilograms of hashish from a drug peddler.

Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from the suspects, who were moved to the relevant police stations for investigation.

They said the purpose of the search operation, according to SSP Islamabad Sajid Kiani, was to protect citizens’ lives and property.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2017