LAHORE: Shehbaz Sharif ordered the caretaker government of Punjab to arrest those involved in the incidents of “vandalism, attacks, and arson” in Punjab following the arrest on Tuesday of former prime minister Imran Khan.
Police in Punjab have arrested hundreds of supporters of Khan for violence after his arrest, and later release, in a land dispute, according to authorities, deepening a political crisis in the country.
Mobile data services were restored after being shut for over 48 hours while Twitter, YouTube and Facebook were still disrupted, as security forces tried to restore order after violent protests killed at least a dozen people.
During his visit to Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) on Saturday, the prime minister directed law enforcement agencies to arrest the perpetrators within 72 hours and initiate legal proceedings against them in anti-terrorism courts.
He expressed grief over the incidents and condemned the “actions of Khan and his followers”, who he believes acted as enemies of Pakistan.
He stressed that those responsible for the “attacks” should be brought to justice in accordance with relevant legal and constitutional provisions.
Sharif also desired an increase in the number of anti-terrorism courts in the province to ensure that legal proceedings against the suspects commence swiftly. During a meeting in Islamabad, he had already issued clear directives to deal with those involved in the attacks with an iron hand.
The prime minister regretted the destruction of the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore. He noted that the armed forces and law enforcement personnel had always been ready to sacrifice their lives to protect the country from the enemies, and those responsible for the recent attacks should be dealt with strictly to prevent such incidents in the future.
The prime minister also criticised the previous government’s “criminal negligence”, which he claimed allowed the PSCA cameras to lie dysfunctional. He stressed that about Rs12 billion had been spent on PSCA, making it the biggest institution in South Asia.
On his Twitter account, the prime minister reiterated his commitment to bringing the perpetrators of the attacks to justice and urged law enforcement agencies to use all available resources, including technological aid and intelligence, to achieve this goal.
