ISLAMABAD: The capital police have registered a case over Friday’s attack on prison vans that were transporting 82 political prisoners from the lower courts of the capital to Attock jail.

The case has been registered under section 7 and 21(i) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, along with 324, 353, 186, 427, 440, 224, 109, 148, and 149 of PPC and sections 13 and 20 of Arms Ordinance 1965 at Sangjani police station in response to a complaint lodged by Inspector Liaquat Ali.

According to the FIR, a police team reached Sangjani Toll Plaza after getting information about an attack on prisons vans that were shifting 82 accused to Attock jail after their appearance in a court of the judicial magistrate police station Secretariat. Three police vehicles, including two pickups and a coaster, were in the squad.

About 35 to 40 people armed with weapons, batons and sticks appeared from the left side and started firing at the police when the caravan reached near the toll plaza at around 5:05pm, the FIR said, adding that as a result, the front tyres of the one of a prison vans burst.

The suspects then attacked the vans with batons and sticks and broke their windscreens as well as those of the squad pickups, it said, adding that as a result SI Mohammad Ramzan and constables Abdul Majid, Munsaf and Mudassar sustained injuries.

The attackers then broke the locks of the prison vans with the help of iron rods and set free the prisoners despite warnings from the police officials.

The accused in the prison vans also attacked the police after disembarking from the vans, the FIR said, adding that after reaching the spot, the police team arrested most of the accused and called for more police contingent to look for the remaining escaped prisoners.

The team also arrested four attackers, the FIR said, adding that a 9MM and 30-bore pistol were recovered from them, and two vehicles were also impounded.

SI Safdar Hussain, in-charge Squad, said the attackers had planned the attack inside the premises of the courts, as there was a large gathering there, the FIR said, adding that the route of the caravan was secretly changed and more contingent was called due to presence of suspicious vehicles.

However, there seems to be one contradiction. The police as well as the information minister, Attaullah Tarar, claimed to have re-arrested all the prisoners whereas the FIR says that majority of the prisoners were rearrested while a police contingent had been called to search for the remaining ones.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2024