ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police conducted an operation inside the Parliament Lodges after members of Ansarul Islam, a volunteer wing of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) entered the Parliament Lodges.
Islamabad Inspector General of Police Muhammad Ahsan Younus took notice of the group’s presence inside the lodges. He suspended the police officials in charge at D-Chowk, parliament lodges and took charge of the operation.
The DIG Operation instructed the media personnel to leave the lodges while MNA Salahuddin Ayubi of the Ansar ul Islam was arrested along with other members of the party. Senator Kamran Murtaza was also reportedly tortured by the police during the operation and was taken into custody.
According to reports, police started arresting the JUI-F volunteers. A prison van was brought to the Parliament Lodges prior to the commencement of the operation. Police said those are resisting the operation to evict the volunteers are being ousted.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman has arrived at the lodges and also called on his party workers to reach Islamabad. He urged them to gather across the country and block roads and protest against the injustice.
During a scuffle between police and Ayubi’s staff at the lodges, PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique was injured when his foot hit the door. Rafique said that Ayaz Sadiq was holding a meeting in the lodge when the incident happened.
Police arrested 18 people including Ayubi and shifted them to Secretariat police station. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said 70 people forcibly entered into the lodges an they negotiated for over five hours to hand them over. He said attempts are being made to take the country towards civil war.
Speaking to a private channel, the minister said national security is the top priority of the federal government and a terror threat has already issued in Islamabad. He criticised the opposition party for using such tactics after failing to get the support of the required number of lawmakers for the no-confidence motion.
