SC directs police to submit report on attack on Sindh House

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Saturday sought a report from the police about the attack on Sindh House by PTI supporters on Friday and also ordered the interior ministry to hold an inquiry into the incident.

Senior police officers told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the apex court had sought the report from the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad. The report will be submitted to the court on Monday.

Senior officers are preparing the report on how the protesters reached Sindh House unchecked and without any interception.

There were at least three police reserves in the area on stand-by. Besides, officials of the Special Branch were deployed for information collection around Sindh House. However, the protesters were not intercepted and the Special Branch officials also failed to inform the relevant officers about it.

Later, the protesters were removed from the premises and the area was cleared. But another group of protesters, led by two PTI MNAs, reached there in vehicles which were neither checked nor intercepted.

The area police and supervisory officers remained silent spectators when the two separate groups entered Red Zone and reached Sindh House and attacked it, they said.

There were video clips showing the MNAs attacking the Sindh House and trying to break a gate, but they were not nominated in the FIR, the officials said.

It is not clear what went wrong and why the police did not stop the two groups comprising about three to four dozens people entering Red Zone to reach the Sindh House, the officers said, adding that the number of police personnel deployed there was much more.

The interior ministry also ordered an inquiry to ascertain why the police did not intercept the protesters. Earlier, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed reportedly said action would be taken against the responsible police officers.

Meanwhile, all the 13 people arrested in connection with the attack were released on personal surety after they were produced in the court of an assistance commissioner.

Sindh police exercised restraint

Amid anticipations of some raid at the Sindh House, the PPP high commanded had directed the Sindh police personnel deployed there to exercise restraint and not to react as it could be a trap by the ruling PTI.

While the Islamabad police failed to stop the PTI workers from reaching the premises, the Sindh police guarding the building did not react to stop the incoming mob.

The Sindh police personnel and officers merely conducted “mock exercises” even after the PTI workers not only scaled the wall of the building but also knocked down the VIP entrance gate.

Responding to a query about the submissive attitude of the Sindh police, a senior PPP leader said the top leadership of the party had already predicted such a move by the PTI workers.

“It was discussed earlier that the PTI wanted to create chaos and turmoil and if the Sindh police reacted even by baton charging, the trespassers would have created a scene and might have also used weapons to aggravate the situation,” the party leader said.

While the PTI workers moved in, stepping over the fallen grilled gate of the Sindh House, the Sindh police personnel posted inside the boundary wall backed off further and made no effort to stop the mob. The Sindh police personnel were not only docile against the attackers but tried to stay away from them and waited for the time the PTI workers who had entered the Sindh House illegally were taken away in the Islamabad police truck.

However, Nasir Hussain Shah, Sindh minister for local government, who was inside the building at the time, told Dawn that such a move was predicted and the security staff was prepared to protect the building.

“But we know that Imran Khan and the PTI have panicked and deliberately sent a few people to create disturbance at Sindh House,” he said, adding that “the police officers were prepared and they foiled the motive of the attack”.

He said the attack occurred at the VIP gate that was used only by the chief minister and the governor of the province.

“May be some high officials close to the governor Sindh were there guiding the mob, allowing the intruders to reach there but the police did not take positions as this also exposed the biased attitude of the capital police who are responsible for maintaining law and order outside the Sindh House,” Mr Shah said.

He added: “We do not want any law and order situation in the federal capital, especially ahead of the OIC moot, but it does not mean Sindh police were incapable of discharging its duties.”

The Sindh minister said the attackers too saw the preparedness of the Sindh police and that was why they did not come close to the main building.