Three injured as motorway police open fire on passenger bus

RAWALPINDI: At least three people were injured on Wednesday when personnel of the motorway police opened fire on a passenger bus near Rawalpindi toll plaza. The bus conductor and two passengers were injured with one of them said to be in critical condition.

Motorway police claimed that the bus was carrying smuggled items and police personnel were attacked first. However footage obtained by a citizen showed otherwise. In the video the motorway police can be seen opening fire on the moving bus and then turning on to GT road from the motorway. The injured were shifted to a hospital for medical treatment after the bus stopped.

According to Nasirabad police the motorway police opened fire on the bus heading to Lahore from Peshawar after they signalled the bus to stop. Inspector General Motorway Amjad Javed Saleemi was forced to take action after the video of the incident surfaced. The two officers involved in the incident were suspended and an FIR was filed against them by one of the injured.

According to the FIR a motorway police vehicle approached the moving bus after it had crossed one of the toll plazas and followed the vehicle. The two policemen in the car gestured to the bus driver to halt the vehicle and when he failed to halt the police opened fire at the bus. The bus windscreen and front were damaged as a result of the firing. The FIR stated that when the bus did stop after the firing incident people ran out of the bus and the two police officers managed to flee the scene.