PESHAWAR: Punjab police arrested 41 personnel of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rescue 1122 and also took into possession 17 of its vehicles, which were accompanying the procession of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf from the province to Islamabad, officials said.

They said that the arrested personnel including firefighters, emergency medical technicians and drivers were deployed with the PTI rally moving to D-Chowk in Islamabad from Peshawar.

They said that the impounded vehicles of Rescue 1122 included seven fire trucks, three water bowsers, six ambulances and one crane.

Sources told Dawn that more than 40 vehicles of Rescue 1122 including ambulances, fire tenders and heavy machinery were also accompanying the procession taken out by PTI from Peshawar on Friday for participating in the protest at D-Chowk, Islamabad. The protest procession was led by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

They said that about 120 rescue personnel were also travelling with the convoy of chief minister. They said that besides the arrested officials and impounded vehicles of Rescue 1122, the rest of the personnel and vehicles reached Peshawar.

The director general of Rescue 1122, Dr Mohammad Ayaz Khan, when contacted, confirmed the arrest of personnel and impounding of 17 vehicles.

“We will engage our lawyer at the department’s level for release of the arrested officials,” he said when asked about efforts for the release of the officials arrested by Punjab police.

He said that provincial government would also make efforts for release of the Rescue 1122 officials. He said that the Rescue 1122 personnel and vehicles were deputed with the PTI procession on the request of provincial government.

Mr Khan said that Rescue 1122 provided its services to people on special occasions in advance like running for recruitment tests for employment in different departments and tests for admission to medical and engineering colleges and universities to handle any emergency situation without wasting time.

“Rescue 1122 has been providing its services to people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa without any hindrance despite the arrest of its personnel and impounding of vehicles,” he said when asked about any impact on the services after the arrest of 41 rescuers and impounding of 17 vehicles.

When asked why the personnel of Rescue 1122 and its vehicles entered the limits of Punjab where its own such services were available, a senior official of the department told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the deployed personnel and vehicles were instructed to accompany the procession till the border of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

However, he said that the PTI activists forced Rescue 1122 personnel and vehicles to go along with them towards D-Chowk, Islamabad. “Two ambulances and one crane are also damaged by the PTI activists,” he added.

One of the officials of Rescue 1122 expressed concerns over dragging them by the PTI provincial government in its “war” with federal and Punjab governments. “Our colleagues have been facing all sorts of difficulties for the fourth consecutive day while accompanying the PTI procession,” he said.

The official said that high ups of the department deployed them with the PTI processions on the directives of the chief minister to appease him and secure their lucrative positions but then no one bothered to provide meal, water and lodging facility for night to them.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2024