Yasmin Rashid made 41 calls during attack on Jinnah House: IG

LAHORE: IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar has said that the process of identification parade of the accused involved in the incidents of May 09 is ongoing and action is being taken according to the law. He said that due to false propaganda on social media, Punjab Police are facing unnecessary criticism. However, the police are doing their work within the law, he added. Through a multimedia presentation, the IGP said that a total of 215 calls were made to instigate the attack on Jinnah House on May 9, including the calls of Yasmin Rashid, Aslam Iqbal, Murad Ras and Mahmood-ur-Rashid. He further said that they have got help from modern technology to identify and arrest the accused. The attacks on sensitive installations across Pakistan, including the attack on Jinnah House on May 9, were planned at one time, under a complete and systematic planning.

The provocation for the May 9 attacks was clearly given by the PTI leadership while the workers were incited on social media. He said that targets were pre-set and planned at a specific central point. Weapons were not given to the personnel while it was alleged that the police had killed 40 people and later claimed that 25 people had been killed. They had asked them to show the dead bodies to prove their allegations but they had no answer. According to the records, there are 154 calls that were made on 08 and 09 May, while 88 calls were made in the vicinity of Rawalpindi GHQ to provoke the people. Similarly, 25 calls to political leadership from sensitive installations in Faisalabad were recorded. There were 50 calls on the PAF Mianwali base, which were interlinked with the top five leaders. These calls were made from there to important people in the top leadership of Tehreek-e-Insaf. The IGP Punjab further said that they had a record of each call, which would be presented in the courts along with other evidence. He said that 708 people have been identified in the Jinnah House attack and 125 have been arrested. Similarly, 170 people who were present at the Jinnah House have been identified from their WhatsApp groups.

In response to a question, the IGP said that Dr Yasmin Rashid was one of the main characters in the attack on the Jinnah House and the police had solid evidence of it. He said that the decision regarding Dr Yasmin Rashid will be challenged in the higher court, following the same evidences. On this occasion, the IGP Punjab also showed videos to the media pertaining to the presence of Dr Yasmin Rashid and the statements of incitement on the occasion of the attack on Jinnah House. He said that at the time of the attack on Jinnah House, 41 calls of Dr Yasmin Rashid, 10 of Hammad Azhar, 75 of Mahmood-ur-Rashid, 50 of Ejaz Chaudhary, 16 of Aslam Iqbal and 23 of Murad Ras have been recorded. He said that one of their DIG’s eyes was damaged and their lady officers were attacked and their fake photos and immoral fake videos were also made viral.

Despite all this, they would continue to do their work only according to the law. Answering a question, he said that cameras have been installed at all the police stations of Punjab and all the records are there. Similarly, the arrested accused are being monitored with the help of cameras in the jails and all the records are available. He said that if any kind of abuse is committed against even a single woman, an inquiry committee will be formed, which will take strict action. He said that 215 calls were found to be common between the Jinnah House and people involved in violence on March 8th. Those who had created a law and order situation on March 8th outside the Zaman Park were involved in the attacks on May 9th.