LAHORE, Mar 20 (APP): Caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said that protecting the lives and properties of people besides maintaining law & order was among the duties of law enforcement agencies including the police and no compromise would be made in this regard.
Addressing a press conference, he announced the formation of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to look into the incidents occurred during the past one week in the guise of political activity in the provincial capital and to present the facts before the nation.
Mohsin Naqvi said the provincial caretaker government was also writing a letter to the Election Commission of Pakistan sharing details about what had been happening in the province by a political party.
He said the police had been given a free hand to establish writ of the government in the province as nobody would be allowed to take law into hands.
Political activity was a right of everyone but attacking the police personnel and damaging
public properties to create an atmosphere of chaos and unrest could not be allowed at all,
he said.
The chief minister said the provincial government had been showing constraint in response
to politics of agitation by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf just to avoid unrest and loss of life.
However, softness of the government should not be taken as its weakness as those involved
in attacking the police personnel and public properties would not be spared anymore.
He added that law enforcement agencies had reached the gate of Khan’s residence twice
but he called them back.
The caretaker CM said that the reason he asked them to return
was that he did not want “anything to happen” that would ruin the environment or cause
a loss of life.
Naqvi also shared that when the police cleared Canal Road, a cop returning from duty
was attacked and an Elite Force car was also attacked the same night.
The chief minister said the police performing duties to maintain law & order were also
being abused by PTI chief Imran Khan while on the other hand, he (Imran) was asking
for security from the same force.
Mohsin Naqvi regretted that the PTI chief was instigating party workers to attack the
police and he was openly threatening the police.
The caretaker chief minister announced financial assistance for the policemen injured
during the current clashes.
He announced Rs 100,000 for minor injured and Rs 500,000 for seriously injured.
The chief minister said the provincial government had started the process of free
flour distribution to the deserving families throughout the holy month of Ramadan
as dedicated centres had been set up in the province.
Citizens visiting the centres for getting the flour should be facilitated and treated well, he added.