LAHORE – A crackdown against those who injured policemen, people, and damaged properties during protests against Asiab Bibi’s acquittal is picking up the pace as over a thousand suspects have been arrested so far by police in different areas of the country.
The ongoing action was launched after the Ministry of Interior directed all provincial governments and federal agencies to arrest the suspects involved in violence and destroying public and private properties during the protests launched by Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) against the verdict of the Supreme Court. The agitation grind to halt after the religious party and government reached an agreement last week.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/govt-orders-crackdown-on-culprits-who-damaged-public-properties/
Stating that the TLP leadership has disowned the persons involved in riots, the ministry directed the official to take stern action and submit report till 5 pm today (Monday). It also asked the officials to use photographs and videos for identificatio of the miscreants.
Reports said that Punjab police have so far arrested over 1,100 suspects and registered 130 cases against them. Around 800 have been booked under Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance 1960.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/tlp-protests-sparked-after-sc-overturns-asia-bibis-death-sentence/
Around 63 police officials were injured by the agitators and several vehicles of people were burnt while the public property was also vandalized during the protests.
With the help of photographs and videos, police have arrested 50 persons in Sheikhupura including a main culprit identified as Hamza who damaged vehicles of people during the protests.
The arrests were also made in Gujranwala, Failsabad, Sargodha and other cities. In Gujranwala, police registered cases against nine identified and 2,500 unidentified people for thrashing citizens, damaging government and private properties.
In Islamabad, cases have been registered against 500 people, Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqat said, adding that 33 suspects have been identified.
He added that 12 have been arrested while 19 have been sent to jail for violating section 16 of MPO in the capital territory.
In Sindh, Nawabshah police booked two activists of TLP for resorting to aerial firing and forcing local traders to shut down their shops.
Similar cases were also registered in Karachi while efforts are made to arrest the suspects.
Meanwhile, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has also started gathering data about vandalisms to arrest the suspects.
Complaint Cells
On Sunday, the government established a complaint cell regarding damages and destruction during recent protests.
According to the Ministry of Interior, citizens can share pictures and videos of those involved in damaging state and private properties in the name of protests. They can share such pictures and videos on 0331-5480011 to help identify the rioters.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/headline/govt-sets-up-complaint-cell-regarding-destruction-during-recent-protests/
The ministry has assured that name and number of those citizens, who will share pictures and videos of violent protesters, will be kept secret.
The ministry on Sunday released initial pictures of the miscreants involved in vandalising property and harming common citizens during the demonstrations, which ended on Friday after the government reached an agreement with the protesters.
The ministry also appealed to citizens to cooperate with the police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in identifying the rioters.
“We will release more pictures of those involved in rioting and destroying public property in the coming days,” a statement from the interior ministry read.
On Wednesday last week, protests broke out all across Pakistan after the Supreme Court of Pakistan delivered the verdict of acquitting Asia Bibi in a blasphemy case.
The demonstrations held by right-winged group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) paralyzed the country for three days.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/pakistan/govt-tlp-protesters-reach-agreement-to-end-countrywide-sit-ins/
The protests ended on Friday night after the government reached a controversial agreement with the TLP leaders.
