LAHORE: The Caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab Mohsin Naqvi has declared that the Police have been given free hand to deal strictly with any lawlessness in future, adding that the provincial government has decided to form a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe into the chaos and disturbance which has been going on for almost a week.
His words came two days after an operation, jointly conducted by Punjab Police, Rangers and a team of anti-encroachment, at the residence of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Lahore’s Zaman Park area on Saturday when he had left for Islamabad to appear in Toshakhana case.
Also read: Raid on Zaman Park: PTI asks courts to guard their verdicts
Heavy contingent of Police broke into the residence of PTI Chairman Imran Khan by damaging his main gate using a crane. Several PTI workers and supporters were badly thrashed, injured and arrested in the assault that lasted for hours.
Also read: Punjab Police raids Lahore’s Zaman Park in Khan’s absence, arrest PTI workers
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Mohsin Naqvi said it wasn’t possible for cops to perform duty and tolerate abuses hurled at them too, adding that the Police force had been given free hand to establish the writ of the government and deal with any miscreant with iron fist.
Also read: Punjab administration claims Zaman Park No Go area cleared
He said “We will now enforce the writ of the government “at all cost”… I had held back the police from reacting and responding before, but I will not do that any further,” he said.
The Caretaker CM of Punjab alleged that PTI Chairman Imran Khan, in his address yesterday, threatened police, adding that Khan instructed his workers to attack cops. He further alleged that armed people were present there in Zaman Park residence.
Naqvi said he will also write to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to inform it about whatever is happening in Punjab except for politics.
Naqvi, while revealing that his government had remained engaged with PTI through backdoor channels, said that the IG had now been given full power to deal with it (PTI) the way deemed ‘appropriate’.
He reiterated that those staying at Zaman Park had come from outside Punjab, saying that the police have been given free hand to carry on the legal action.“We will give you a response to remember now and the writ of the state will be established at any cost,” Naqvi said.
Speaking earlier, Mohsin Naqvi said that free wheat flour was being supplied at thousands of distribution centres throughout Punjab, adding that over 800,000 flour bags had already been distributed till to date. “Every family will be given three flour bags,” he added.
