Wednesday, February 12, 2025
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HomeTop NewsPunjab govt gives 24-hour deadline to PTI to handover ‘terrorists’ hiding in...

Punjab govt gives 24-hour deadline to PTI to handover ‘terrorists’ hiding in Zaman Park

PTI has 24 hours to turn over “terrorists” sheltering in Zaman Park, according to the Punjab government.

LAHORE: The interim government of Punjab has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, demanding the surrender of alleged “30-40 terrorists” seeking refuge at the former prime minister’s residence in Zaman Park, Lahore.

Caretaker Information Minister Aamir Mir conveyed this message during a press conference, emphasizing that if the PTI fails to comply, legal action will be taken. The government claimed to possess credible intelligence reports confirming the presence of these individuals and employed geo-fencing techniques to locate them within Zaman Park.

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Minister Mir expressed concern over the alarming intelligence report and accused the PTI of assuming a role similar to that of a non-state actor. He further criticized the party’s leader for targeting the military over the past year and urged the PTI to hand over the alleged terrorists. Mir also stated that the PTI leadership had planned the attack prior to the arrest of Imran Khan.

The interim information minister disclosed that the recent violent protests on May 9 involved premeditated attacks on military installations. The government adopted a “zero tolerance policy” towards such acts and granted the Punjab Police full authority, under the interim Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, to deal with the perpetrators. When asked about the attack on Jinnah House, Mir revealed that the police had been prohibited from using weapons to prevent bloodshed in the province.

To read more: NAB summons Imran Khan on May 18 in Al-Qadir Trust case

Mir stressed that several arsonists had communication with individuals inside Zaman Park during the attack on the Corps Commander House. He promised to make an example out of them to deter similar incidents in the future. The interim government decided to try those responsible for attacking military installations in military courts, and thorough scrutiny of the arrested individuals was being conducted before forwarding their cases with confirmed evidence of involvement.

Highlighting the severity of the situation, Minister Mir described the PTI’s actions as crossing a “red line” on May 9. He revealed that out of the 795 identified attackers, 78 were in physical custody, while 609 were judicially remanded. In a sarcastic tone, Mir warned of serious repercussions, vowing to ensure that those who challenged the state’s authority would be pursued relentlessly.

The arrest of Imran Khan by paramilitary troops, acting on the National Accountability Bureau’s directives, triggered clashes between his supporters and security forces, resulting in at least eight fatalities. Many others, including Khan’s close aides and political associates, were also arrested. The National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, supported the military’s actions against those involved in the violence. In response, the army declared that it would no longer exercise restraint against individuals attacking its facilities.

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