In a daring assault at the Sangjani Toll Plaza in Islamabad, unknown assailants attacked three prisoner transport vans, resulting in a brief escape of several detainees, including three PTI Members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs) arrested during the D-Chowk protests.
Police sources reported that the detainees, 82 in total, were en route back to Attock Jail following a court appearance when the ambush occurred. The escapees included MPAs Anwar Zeb, Liaqat, and Yasir Qureshi, as well as other government employees and police officials from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The assailants, estimated to be 18 to 20 in number, fired at the vans’ tires, injuring several police officials and inmates. The wounded were promptly transported to a hospital for medical attention.
Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Ali Nasir Rizvi, confirmed the incident, stating that all escaped inmates, including the two MPAs, were successfully re-arrested and returned to custody. He also disclosed that the attackers included the son of one of the detained MPAs. Four assailants have been apprehended, including the son of MPA Liaqat, a police officer, and two other suspects.
Information Minister Atta Tarar described the attack as pre-planned but commended the Islamabad police for swiftly thwarting the escape attempt. “No one will be allowed to take the law into their hands,” he asserted, noting that authorities were pursuing 15 additional suspects identified through CCTV footage.
Meanwhile, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram alleged that the police forcibly removed PTI supporters from the vans and tried to aid their escape. He claimed that detained PTI workers were initially discharged by the court but were re-arrested on new charges.
