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LAHORE: Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested three armed men from the central gate of a session’s court in Lahore.
According to the sources, the arrested men were carrying sophisticated weapons including rifles as well as magazines and bullets. They had come to court for the hearing of a case, sources added.
Sources further said initially five men were detained and shifted to Islampura police station for further action where separate FIRs were registered against them. Two men were released after verification, sources said.
Citing the incident a police official said “Bringing weapons at a sessions court is forbidden as it is located in the Red Zone. No one will be allowed to carry arms in court premises” the official added. The FIRs were lodged under Section 13-2(a) of the Punjab Arms Ordinance, 1965.
All three of the men were arrested after receiving intelligence tips, according to the FIRs. “One man, who was carrying a rifle, six bullets and a magazine, was arrested from near Judge’s Gate, while another was arrested from the court’s gate. He was also carrying a rifle with six bullets and a magazine,” read the FIR.
The third man was arrested from Baba Ground sessions court with a rifle, 10 bullets and one magazine. It is worth mentioning here in recent months police have arrested people carrying weapons from a court building.
On January 12, seven men were arrested from outside the district and sessions court next to Baba Ground in Lahore. A spokesperson for the Lahore police had said in a statement that five rifles, five pistols and 700 bullets were seized from the seven men.
On January 18, three armed men were arrested from the parking lot of the Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). Two pistols and four fully loaded magazines were found in their possession.
In 2020, a number of incidents took place where shots were fired and people attending hearings were attacked inside court premises.
In December last year, a man who was accused of murder was shot dead by the complainant in the waiting area of Karachi’s Malir court. Many lawyers have raised questions regarding the security inside courts.