May 9 violence: Police approach FIA to prevent escape of accused abroad

PESHAWAR: Cases of around 50 people charged in first information reports (FIRs) with violent attacks on May 9 have been sent to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to stop them from leaving the country via borders or airports, it was learnt.

A source said that the list included the names of many former lawmakers and senior party office-bearers, who were nominated in various FIRs and were yet to be arrested.

“The list sent to the FIA to stop their escape via Torkham border or any airport includes some senior party leaders as well as former ministers and members of the national and provincial assemblies. Many raids were conducted on their hujras but they are yet to be rounded up,” a senior official informed.

Apart from a couple of former lawmakers arrested from other districts in the first few days, majority of the former ministers, MPAs and MNA as well as senior leaders of the PTI nominated in the FIRs have gone into hiding. They have left their homes since May 10.

The police said several raids were conducted on their hujras but they were not found. The large number of those arrested by the police in the last over two weeks were either commoners or junior workers of the PTI.

The police registered 102 FIRs in Peshawar and other districts in KP after miscreants during rallies to protest the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9 ransacked and torched public and private properties.

Out of these 18 cases are lodged under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act for attacking and torching government installations, police and army posts, firing and other acts of violence.

Reports said cases of attacks on army installations are to be sent to the special courts. An official said police were still continuing selective raids to arrest those charged in the FIRs, or to apprehend those who are seen in pictures and videos involved in violence. Over 2000 have been held across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for being part of violence and attacks.

Officials said 2010 pictures and 496 videos from the spots of attacks have been sent to the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to get their details which is then circulated to the police stations concerned for raids and arrests. A number of people had posted these pictures and videos on their social media accounts on the day of protests. An official said many have deleted their selfies and videos but the police had got access to them and had launched a probe to bring the perpetrators of violence to justice. Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court e on Wednesday sent the former lawmaker of PTI Arbab Jahandad and 25 other party workers on judicial remand in the May 9 case of vandalism, arson and violent protest in the provincial capital.

The former MPA was allegedly involved in blocking the M-1 Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway and instigating protesters for damaging public and private properties in the city. He was arrested from Murree by Punjab Police and handed over to Peshawar police where a case was registered against him in Chamkani Police Station.