No attack took place on PM: Interior Ministry

ISLAMABAD: A few hours after his detention, law enforcement agencies Sunday released a retired officer of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) who mistakenly brought his land cruiser into the convoy of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif near Malpur when he was coming from Murree to Islamabad along with his family, police sources said.
The driver of the car was identified as 61-year-old Hafiz-ur-Rehman who is a resident of F-11/2.
Security personnel immediately noticed the presence of the land cruiser and collided some of convoy vehicles in order to save the prime minister and his family.
Police sources told The News that the driver of the land cruiser (CU-248-ICT) broke line at the Toll Plaza and tried to get closer to the PM’s car after joining the prime minister’s motorcade. Two women and two children were also riding the land cruiser.
Top police officers and personnel of intelligence and investigation agencies released Mr. Hafiz-ur-Rehman after questioning.
People responsible for the security of PM didn’t ask for route security; however, traffic personnel were deployed on the route, the sources maintained.
In a late night clarification, the Interior Ministry spokesman said no attack occurred on the PM’s convoy.
The spokesman said the arrested man was a retired Pakistan Air Force officer and mistakenly tried to overtake the prime minister’s car.
He said it was wrongly reported that the number plate was a fake. “He is a respectable retired officer and was with his family when the incident happened.”