ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday condemned manhandling of PML-N leaders by PTI supporters outside the Parliament House on Saturday.

“Whatever happened in front of the parliament house, two days ago, was wrong and I condemn the incident,” he said while talking to mediapersons at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where he was visiting the police officials who were injured in a gun attack on a picket in G-13. A head constable died in the attack.

On March 5, PML-N leaders including Ahsan Iqbal, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Khurram Dastagir and Musadik Malik were manhandled by the PTI supporters while they were speaking at a presser.

Interior Minister said on Sunday two police officials were martyred in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. He said the incidents showed that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan was reorganising itself in Afghanistan.

“Some of the cities including Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi are under threat. Police and Army have been sacrificing their lives in their war against terrorism. Even on Sunday, five terrorists were killed,” he said.

Sheikh Rashid said that Rs27.5 million had been provided to the families of each martyr of law enforcement agencies.

He also said that salaries of government employees would be increased.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar also visited the injured police officials.

Mr Umar said the police were investigating the attack on police picket and expressed the hope that the culprits would be arrested.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2021