LAHORE: Punjab police on Tuesday arrested seven men who were carrying a large cache of weapons outside a district and sessions court in the city’s old Islampura neighbourhood.
Local security chief Mubashir Awan said five guns, including AK-47 rifles, more than a thousand bullets and 15 magazines were seized from the suspects.
However, in a statement issued later, a spokesperson for the Lahore police said five rifles, five pistols and 700 bullets were recovered from seven men.
He added that the suspects were shifted to the Islampura police station for registration of a case against them.
Meanwhile, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mehmood Dogar congratulated the security chief and his team for apprehending the men.
He also announced action against the suspects and awards for the security team, according to the statement.
“Kalashnikov culture will be ended in Lahore. Nobody is allowed to go around displaying weapons. The writ of the state must be established,” the CCPO said.
“Protecting the lives and livelihoods of citizens is the police’s responsibility and we will fulfil it,” he added.
The development comes weeks after some regional political parties expressed serious concern about threats to the life of political leaders and asked the government to take appropriate measures for the security of the politicians identified in a police security alert.
Seperately, in Balochistan, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial chief Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao said the police had issued a security alert to party chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao but didn’t increase his security.
He had said the QWP leadership would continue to raise voice for the people’s rights despite threats.
“The alert was issued over two months ago but we didn’t disclose it. Now, the police made it public,” he had added.
