Policeman shot dead in Lahore raid amid crackdown on PTI workers

LAHORE – The federal government and PTI leaders are holding each other responsible for the murder of a police official during a raid in Model Town area of Lahore last night.

An FIR of the incident states that Kamal Ahmed, a constable of Punjab Police, was shot dead when a search operation was being conducted in the locality regarding tenancy on Monday night. 

A man named Akrama son of Sajid Hussain opened fire when police party reached their house for search, it said, adding that Sajid Hussain and his son also threatened the police with dire consequence. 

https://twitter.com/HamidMirPAK/status/1528976552611893249

During the incident, constable Ahmed received bullet wound and died on the spot, the FIR said. 

The search operation coincided with the last night action launched by police against the PTI leaders ahead of the long march scheduled for May 25. 

Police raided the residence of various PTI leaders including Hammad Azhar, Jamshed Cheema, Usman Dar, Fawad Chaudhry and others in Punjab and Islamabad. 

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in a statement said that the killing of a police official clearly showed that Imran Khan is a “terrorist”.

Referring to PTI leadership’s fiery statements in recent rallies, the minister said: “Those who has announced bloody march will be held responsible”.

He said that law will take its course to prevent civil war, chaos and disorder on the pretext of long march in the country. 

قاتلوں کو قانون کے کٹہرے میں کھڑا کریں گے۔ملک میں خانہ جنگی، افراتفری، فساد اور انتشار کو قانون کے راستے سے روکیں گے، عوام کے جان ومال کی حفاظت کا فرض پورا کریں گے۔ شہید کے اہلخانہ سے دلی تعزیت، ہمدردی کا اظہار کرتے ہیں، اہلخانہ کی کفالت اور بچوں کی تعلیم کی ذمہ داری حکومت لے گی۔

— Rana Sana Ullah Khan (@RanaSanaullahPK) May 24, 2022

Expressing heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the family of the martyred police official, the interior minister said that the government will take the responsibility of the family of Kamal Ahmed. 

On the other hand, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that police raided 1,100 houses in Punjab last night. 

“Police entered the houses without warrants and insulted women and children,” he said, adding that more than 400 party workers, including women, were detained in the raids. 

“Ex-servicemen and retired civil service officers were also targeted by the police,” he claimed in a couple of tweets.

Citing reports, Chaudhry said that police attempted to break into the house of retired major last night when the family members opened fire after believing that they were robbers when one policeman lost his life. 

ایکس سروس مین اور سول اداروں سے ریٹائرڈ لوگ بھی پولیس گردی کا نشانہ بنے، اطلاعات کے مطابق ریٹائرڈ میجر کےگھر میں آدھی رات کو زبردستی داخل ہونے پر گھروالوں نے ڈاکو سمجھ کر فائر کردیا اور پولیس اھل کار جان کی بازی ہارگیا ان تمام واقعات کی ذمہ دارحمزہ اور رانا ثنااللہ ہیں

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 24, 2022

He said that Rana Sanaullaha and Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz are responsible for the incident.