3 armed men arrested from outside Lahore sessions court

Three people, who were found to be carrying weapons, were arrested from the central gate of a sessions court in Lahore on Tuesday.

According to the court’s security incharge Mubashir Awan, the arrested were carrying sophisticated weapons including rifles as well as magazines and bullets. They had come to court for the hearing of a case, he said.

Bringing weapons at a sessions court is forbidden as it is located in the Red Zone, Awan said, adding that no one will be allowed to carry arms in court premises.

Initially, five men were detained and shifted to Islampura police station for further action where separate first information reports were lodged against three of those arrested. Two men were released “after verification”, Awan said.

The FIRs were lodged under Section 13-2(a) of the Punjab Arms Ordinance, 1965.

According to the FIRs, all three of the men were arrested after receiving intelligence tips. One man, who was carrying a rifle, six bullets and a magazine, was arrested from near Judges Gate, while another was arrested from the court’s gate. He too, was carrying a rifle with six bullets and a magazine.

The third man was arrested from Baba Ground sessions court with a rifle, 10 bullets and one magazine.

This is not the first time in recent weeks that the police have arrested people carrying weapons from a court building. On January 12, seven men were arrested from outside the district and sessions court next to Baba Ground in Lahore. A spokesperson for the Lahore police had said in a statement that five rifles, five pistols and 700 bullets were seized from the seven men.

A week later on January 18, three armed men were arrested from the parking lot of the Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). Two pistols and four fully loaded magazines were found in their possession, according to the security officials.