4, April 2005	Monday	24 Safar 1426

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GUJRANWALA, April 3: The Punjab government issued the following press note regarding Sunday’s episode:

“Today at about 9am when the proceedings of the marathon started at Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala, and the participants of the three-km race had reached the stadium, the local leadership of MMA led by Qazi Hameedullah and accompanied by about 800 to 900 armed activists entered the stadium. The miscreants were armed with firearms, batons and patrol bombs. The participants of the marathon, including women, were pulled down from their seats and were beaten and dragged on the ground by the miscreants. The assailants also set 12 cars and seven motorcycles ablaze. They also ransacked the shops of the stadium and tried to put them to fire which was however soon brought under control. They tried to kill the Gujranwala DPO with a patrol bomb but he narrowly escaped while his gunman was injured and was taken to a hospital.

“Later, the attackers tried to burn the nearby patrol pumps but their attempts were foiled by the police. The assailants made free use of firearms during this attack. The police used teargas to disperse the miscreants and around 20 of them were apprehended and would be tried under the ATA. The government besides ensuring deterrent punishment to the miscreants would also recover the amount of damages caused to the property.”

Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Punjab government said that attack was terrorism and that the government will deal with the offenders with an iron hand.

“People are justified in asking the elements who use religion to promote their political aims that which religion of the world allows attacks on women.”

He said women were 55pc of our population and they could not be deprived of taking part in sport.

PANIC: Chaotic scenes were witnessed in the city as news of the MMA clash with police and incidents of arson attacks spread on Sunday.

As dozens of young boys and girls were taking part in the marathon, their parents, relatives and friends were looking for them to know if they were safe.

Almost all local markets and bazaars were closed by the business community when they heard that Qazi Hamid’s son had died in hospital from injuries he sustained in the clash. The information later turned out to be false.