187 individuals detained during D-Chowk protest were being transported to Attock Jail following court appearances
\nIslamabad
\nUnidentified gunmen ambushed three prison vans carrying detainees on Friday at the Sangjani Toll Plaza, leading to a chaotic scene as several prisoners, including three Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), managed to escape, according to police sources.
\nThe prisoners, 187 individuals detained during recent protests at D-Chowk, were being transported to Attock Jail following court appearances. Among those in the vans were MPAs Anwar Zeb, Malik Liaquat, and Yasir Qureshi, alongside K-P government employees and police officers, police sources confirmed.
\n\u201cArmed assailants, seemingly lying in wait, opened fire as the prison vans reached Sangjani,\u201d stated a police official. The attack targeted the vehicles\u2019 tyres, forcing them to halt, while police officers onboard sustained injuries and were subsequently taken to the hospital.
\nIn the aftermath, law enforcement quickly mobilised reinforcements, securing the area and launching an immediate manhunt. Police report that some escapees have already been recaptured, including the son of an MPA. However, several prisoners remain unaccounted for, believed to have been aided by the attackers in their escape.
\nKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Police spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating that the assailants numbered between 25 to 30, armed and firing to break the prisoners free. \u201cThis was a planned assault, intended to free individuals implicated in terrorism cases related to the recent PTI protests,\u201d said the spokesperson.
\nExpress News reported that while many prisoners were successfully prevented from escaping, the attackers did manage to shatter van windows and disable some police vehicles. Local sources reported significant police presence at the scene following the attack, with authorities vowing to pursue those responsible for the daring ambush and the escape of high-profile detainees.
\n\u2018Government drama\u2019
\nMeanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have dismissed the attack on prison vans near the Sangjani Toll Plaza as a staged incident orchestrated by the federal government and police, claiming it was intended to malign the party.
\nPTI officials accused the police of encouraging detainees to escape and called the incident a \u201cdrama\u201d that reflects rising government \u201cconspiracies.\u201d
\n\u201cThe attack on the prison vans in Islamabad is yet another stunt by the federal government,\u201d said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. \u201cThese schemes by the government are escalating daily. The people should see through this and understand that our members are committed and will not flee,\u201d he stated.
\nPTI Secretary of Information, Sheikh Waqas Akram, also criticised the handling of PTI detainees, who he claimed were held without just cause. According to Akram, over 80 PTI supporters had been detained by Islamabad Police following recent protests and were supposed to be released as ordered by the court. \u201cInstead, they have been re-arrested under new charges. Our people are not hiding; they are demanding justice,\u201d he added.
\nAkram alleged that after a court hearing, the prison vans transporting PTI detainees to Attock Jail were diverted to an area near Faisal Town, where SHO Shabbir Tanoli reportedly intervened, ordering the vehicles to stop and breaking their windows. \u201cTanoli told our people to flee, but they remained firm,\u201d he claimed. Akram emphasised that those arrested include government employees and MPAs, stating, \u201cThese are individuals of integrity; they\u2019re not running away.\u201d
\nAccording to police sources, the prison vans carrying 82 detainees were attacked by assailants in four vehicles as they approached the Sangjani Toll Plaza. The attackers, armed with weapons, batons, and stones, targeted the vans, causing four police officers to sustain injuries. Police reported that three of the attackers were apprehended on the scene, while the remaining managed to flee.
\n\u201cThe attackers were armed and clearly intent on causing disruption,\u201d said an Islamabad Police spokesperson, adding that law enforcement was investigating the incident thoroughly. \u201cMedical aid has been provided to injured officers, and additional teams have been deployed in the area to apprehend those who fled.\u201d
\nIslamabad Police launched a search operation across nearby areas to locate remaining attackers and any potential escapees. Senior officers, along with a sizeable police presence, arrived on-site immediately after the incident, reviewing the situation and establishing checkpoints.
\nPTI MPAs, officials discharged
\nEarlier in the day, an Islamabad sessions court discharged two PTI MPAs, 34 K-P police employees, and 42 personnel from the 1122 Rescue Service who had been detained during a PTI protest at China Chowk in Blue Area, Express News reported.
\nThe hearing was held before Judicial Magistrate Mian Azhar Nadeem, where MPAs Anwar Zeb and Malik Liaquat were also present. Defence counsel Ansar Mahmood Kayani argued that all defendants were granted bail the previous day but were taken into custody again by Secretariat Police shortly after their release.
\nDuring the proceedings, the judge questioned whether the defendants had engaged in any vandalism or robbery at the Marriott and raised concerns about applying terrorism charges. \u201cDoes this case even qualify for terrorism charges? They were just granted bail in similar cases yesterday,\u201d the judge remarked.
\nPolice representatives noted that while the suspects were previously charged under cases from Secretariat and Kohsar Police Stations, there was a two-hour gap between the incidents. They confirmed that the defendants were arrested under the Secretariat Police Station\u2019s case.
\nFollowing the arguments, the court ordered all defendants, who had been presented for an identification parade, to be formally discharged from the charges.
\nPTI tried to free detainees in \u2018planned attack\u2019: Tarar
\nFederal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the attack on prison vans near Sangjani Toll Plaza, describing it as a \u201cpremeditated assault\u201d by PTI members aimed at aiding detainees\u2019 escape.
\nTarar, in a statement, called the incident a failed attempt by PTI workers to free party members in police custody, adding that several attackers, including the son of PTI MPA Liaquat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, had been arrested.
\n\u201cPTI workers launched this assault with full planning at the Sangjani Toll Plaza, attempting to break detainees free,\u201d Tarar said. He stated that the attackers travelled in four vehicles, carrying weapons, and managed to intercept the vans before police regained control. \u201cOur police acted courageously, and all detainees are now back in custody,\u201d he added, noting that two officers sustained injuries during the incident.
\nAccording to Tarar, two vehicles, four individuals, and firearms were seized from the attackers. \u201cPTI\u2019s history is one of violence and chaos, from the May 9 riots to their past attacks on state institutions,\u201d he remarked, adding that the toll plaza\u2019s CCTV footage captured the attack and would aid in further arrests.
\nTarar criticised PTI\u2019s response to the incident as \u201claughable,\u201d dismissing their claims as \u201cthe script of a film.\u201d He asserted that the state would not tolerate such actions and promised strict legal repercussions for those involved. \u201cWe will set an example here to ensure that no one in the future dares to intercept prison vans and help detainees escape,\u201d he stated.
\nThe information minister disclosed that a police operation was underway to identify additional suspects, with authorities pursuing the vehicles involved in the attack. \u201cThe state\u2019s authority will be upheld, and no leniency will be shown,\u201d he added, referencing the sentences imposed in incidents like the US Capitol Hill and London riots.
\n\u201cHad the culprits of May 9 been adequately punished, such acts would not have been attempted today,\u201d Tarar concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
187 individuals detained during D-Chowk protest were being transported to Attock Jail following court appearances Islamabad Unidentified gunmen ambushed three prison vans carrying detainees on Friday at the Sangjani Toll Plaza, leading to a chaotic scene as several prisoners, including three Members of Provincial Assembly (MPAs) from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), managed to escape, according to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":72082,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-72062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72062"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":72084,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72062\/revisions\/72084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nabanews.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}