PESHAWAR: Members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday condemned the re-arrest of their colleagues and activists of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in Islamabad after the Oct 25 “prison van attack” in Sangjani area and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.

In a statement, the Islamabad police claimed that prison vans came under a mob attack near Sangjani Toll Plaza when 82 inmates, including two PTI lawmakers and four PTI workers, were being transferred to Attock Jail after an appearance before the district magistrate.

They added that the attackers, totalling around 20, carried weapons, sticks and stones and rode four vehicles, while all the escaped prisoners were recaptured.

During Monday’s provincial assembly session, which was chaired by MPA Sharafat Ali, lawmaker Ajmal Khan alleged that the attack was a conspiracy against his colleagues, including Malik Liaqat and Anwarzeb Khan, and PTI workers.

Flay re-arrest of colleagues, PTI activists in federal capital

He said that none of those travelling in the vans were militants.

“A court order for the release of prisoners was issued after the acceptance of their bail application. Only after the issuance of that order, relatives and workers reached there to receive detainees, but they’re unfairly declared militants,” he said.

Mr Ajmal demanded that the cases registered against detainees be quashed.

MPA Shafiullah Khan said that the PTI leadership had scheduled a peaceful protest in Islamabad, so thousands of party workers left for the federal capital on Oct 4.

He added that as soon as the convoy reached Attock, the main route was barricaded and the police and Rangers personnel deployed there fired rubber bullets and tear gas shells at it.

The lawmaker also insisted that the police baton-charged PTI workers at Islamabad’s main D-Chowk, leaving hundreds injured, while the KP House in the city was also ransacked.

“Both lawmakers Malik Liaqat and Anwarzeb Khan were arrested on fabricated charges and when their bail applications were accepted by the court on Oct 26, another fake case was registered against them,” he alleged.

The lawmaker also claimed that the police told detainees to run but they refused, prompting police to fire at prison vans.

Member of the opposition Awami National Party Arbab Usman supported the point of the treasury colleagues.

“If you install firewalls and ban social media in the 21st century, it will have a reaction. If we really want to learn [from the past], political prisoners should be released,” he said, demanding an inquiry into the “prison van attack.”

MPA Shafiullah Jan said that after the lawmakers were arrested, the house issued production orders for both lawmakers, but the Islamabad police had yet to respond.

He added that a writ petition was filed and a notice was issued by the court on the matter, but the federal government was delaying action.

The lawmaker said that 82 detainees were released on the court’s orders but a “drama” was staged by police in Sangajni to re-arrest them.

“How did the prison van attack happen when someone was already released from the jail? It was staged to file another case against those prisoners,” he alleged.

The lawmaker added that he and other members of the house wanted everything to be done in line with the law, but if they’re denied legal and constitutional rights, they would avail themselves of all available options to claim them.

Livestock minister Fazal Hakim Khan demanded authorities stop subjecting PTI leaders and activists to brutalities.

He said that he would appear before the court for being named in an FIR registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

“Our leader [incarcerated PTI founder] Imran Khan wants every citizen of the country to be treated equally under one law. Gone are the days when individuals would make decisions. We don’t accept those who do not follow the law,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2024