Four cops injured as convoy of three prison vans carrying 82 prisoners including 82 PTI workers attacked near Sangjiani Toll Plaza: police

ISLAMABAD, Oct 25 (SABAH): Armed suspects on Friday attacked a convoy of three police vans near Sangjiani Toll Plaza outside Islamabad, police said.

According to a statement from the Islamabad Police spokesperson, the vans were transferring 82 prisoners to Attock Jail after an appearance before the district magistrate earlier today. The 82 prisoners included two PTI lawmakers and four party workers.

“Suspects riding in four vehicles attacked the prisoner vans near Sangjani Toll Plaza,” the statement read, adding that the suspected assailants were armed with weapons, sticks and stones. “There were 20 attackers.”

“Four police officers were injured in the attack, while four attackers were arrested,” the statement added. “Two vehicles and weapons belonging to the suspects were seized.”

Teams were formed to arrest the suspects and police also started search operations in different areas, adding that all escaped prisoners were recaptured by police, according to the statement. “The police teams handled the whole situation very bravely,” it added.

Earlier, District Magistrate Muhammad Azhar Nadeem presided over a hearing for the identification parade of the 82 suspects, dismissing the case as the suspects had been presented in courts and, therefore, their identity was known to the police and the complainant.

According to the court’s order these suspects were arrested during the PTI’s rally in Islamabad on October 4. The counsel for the accused said that 34 of them were police personnel while 42 included Rescue 1122 personnel.

PTI MPAs Anwar Zeb and Malik Liaquat Khan are among the six arrested PTI members. “[The] request to send the accused for identification parade is declined and all of them are hereby discharged from the instant case,” said the court’s order. “They [are to be] be released forthwith if not required in any other case.”

Following the armed attack, Inspector General (IG) Islamabad Police Ali Nasir Rizvi told media 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.

Later, police launched search operation in the area and arrested four suspects involved in the incident. Sources said the son of a provincial minister was also arrested.

PTI Information Secretary and Member National Assembly Sheikh Waqas Akram issued a video statement condemning the attack on the convoy and alleging that policemen from Tarnol police station were behind the attack.

“I am speaking with regards to 82 of our people who were presented in court in an FIR registered in Sangjiani and the judge discharged them,” he said.

“When all of them in the FIR were discharged, they were named in another secretariat FIR and arrested again. Following that, they were being moved to Attock Jail in three prison vans.” Akram added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa MPAs were among the 82 “party people”.

“When these people were being transferred to Attock Jail … suddenly, near Faisal Town, the vans were turned around and stopped within the jurisdiction of Tarnol police station,” Akram said.

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.