Unknown gunmen attack police vans, free opposition party’s prisoners in Pakistan’s capital

Unknown gunmen ambushed on Friday a convoy of police vans carrying over 80 detainees, including suspects belonging to opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) charged in terrorism cases, in the federal capital, freeing several inmates, Islamabad Police said.

They said that the convoy was transporting detainees from a court appearance back to Attock Jail when the attack took place near Islamabad's Sangjani.

The ambush reportedly involved 20 to 25 attackers who opened fire on the vans, shattering windows and reportedly injuring at least one officer.

Authorities believe the assailants intended to free PTI activists held in terrorism-related cases, though police have not confirmed specific identities.

However, within hours, authorities confirmed they had recaptured all escaped prisoners.

They said that after the attack, law enforcement officers immediately began a sweeping search operation across nearby areas, including Tarnol and Sangjani, to capture any remaining suspects and restore order.

Police confirmed four arrests linked to the attack, including the son of a provincial minister. Police are questioning eyewitnesses and detained suspects to determine the attackers’ affiliations and motives.

Islamabad’s Inspector General (IG) Ali Nasir Rizvi addressed the media, emphasizing that police thwarted the attackers’ overall intent to facilitate a mass escape.

“The attackers faced resistance, and we have detained key suspects,” Rizvi said. He added that cases would be registered against all involved in the attack, with terrorism-related charges likely to be filed against the suspects.

Police pressured workers to flee, but they refused: PTI

According to PTI leader Sheikh Waqas Akram, more than 80 detained workers were presented in court earlier today, where the judge dismissed the cases against them.

However, he claimed that police subsequently rearrested the workers in connection with a separate case registered at the Secretariat Police Station.

He added that authorities were transporting these workers to Attock Jail when the vans were unexpectedly rerouted near Faisal Town and taken back to Chungi 26, where they parked.

Waqas claimed that Station House Officer (SHO) Shabbir Tanoli broke the window of one van, allowing police to remove PTI workers, including an MPA, government employees, and other party members, from the vehicles. He further alleged that police then pressured the workers to flee, but the detainees refused, reportedly insisting they would not run.

Calling it a “new stunt”, he stated that PTI members stayed on site while police continued urging them to escape. He called on the media to cover the situation independently.

‘PTI workers attacked the vans’

Responding to the incident, Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the attack, asserting that the assault was a premeditated effort by members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to facilitate an escape.

"At Sangjani toll plaza, PTI workers attacked the vehicle transporting prisoners," Tarar said, adding, "It was a deliberate attempt to free the arrested individuals, but it failed."

He said that the police detained several of the attackers, including the son of a PTI Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Tarar confirmed that authorities seized two vehicles, four individuals, and various weapons used in the attack. He cited prior PTI incidents, including attacks on state institutions on May 9, 2023, the assault on PTV headquarters, and damage to the parliament's gate.

According to Tarar, four PTI vehicles with workers attacked the prisoner van, attempting to free 82 detainees, 19 of whom initially escaped but were swiftly recaptured. "All detainees are now in police custody," he said, noting that two police officers were injured while preventing the escape.

“Those responsible will face justice,” Tarar concluded, promising that a precedent will be established to deter similar incidents in the future.