Armed assailants have attacked three prison vans carrying several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers, government workers and cops detained in the D-Chowk protest 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, sources told Geo News.
One of the prison vans was transporting PTI MPAs Anwar Zaib, Liaquat, and Yasir Qureshi.Play Video
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.
