PESHAWAR:
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) police has taken action against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers who were involved in incidents of arson and rioting across the province. As of now, 296 PTI workers have been arrested and 44 First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered against them. As per police record, seven people have lost their lives in the violence including four in Peshawar, two in Kohat and one in Lower Dir district.
A massive crackdown has been launched against those involved in violent protests. Thursday remained a comparatively calm day in the province as police strictly enforced the section 144 imposed in the province and arrested all those PTI workers who tried to stage a protest. A police official told The Express Tribune that 16 platoons of Frontier Constabulary (FC) have been deployed to assist police in Mardan, Kohat, Bannu and DI Khan and army has also been called. “Some 44 people have been arrested who are booked in difference cases while 252 people were rounded up under section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO),” said a police official.
Around 32 policemen have been injured in clashes with rioters while 106 protesters also suffered wounds, he maintained, adding that 17 government installation were attacked and destroyed by the rioters across the province including the historic building of Radio Pakistan Peshawar, barriers of the army check posts, NAB office Peshawar, office of the Provincial Election Commission, office of Saif City Peshawar and Mardan, toll plazas of Peshawar and Swat Motorways and dozens of government and private vehicles. PTI workers didn’t even spare private properties and broke into an arms store on GT Road in the Hashtnagri area and took away all the arms and ammunition.
A police spokesman told journalists that CCTV footage from the areas including Balahisar Fort, Radio Pakistan and the provincial assembly had been collected for identification of the miscreants entering government properties, offices and sensitive installations and strict action would be taken against them. Special teams of police, he said, had been formed to arrest those people, adding that raids were also being conducted to arrest the local leaders, MNAs and ex-MPAs for their involvement in inciting the people to attack government properties. He added cases against the former MPAs and MNAs would be registered once their involvement in anti-state activities was proven.
The spokesman further said that protestors damaged government properties and installations at Motorway Interchange, Dalazak Road, Kabootar Chowk and General Bus Stand; however, the major losses were incurred to properties at Suray Pull near the provincial assembly and Radio Pakistan.
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