Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered on Saturday that all perpetrators and attackers responsible for the vandalism and arson at the Jinnah House and military and civil installations be apprehended within 72 hours.
Shehbaz Sharif issued the orders while presiding over a meeting at the Punjab Safe City Authority headquarters in Lahore.
He said “All the culprits, planners, instigators, and attackers involved in the vandalism should be arrested within the next 72 hours”.
Pakistan PM Sharif further said, “This is a critical task that requires swift action to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.” He expressed regret over the destruction of the Safe City Project during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tenure.
Sharif said that he was told that CCTV cameras ranging from 40 to 60 per cent were found to be non-functional in the past five years.
He said that the Safe City System designed to protect people has suffered due to criminal negligence. He also instructed to increase the number of anti-terrorism courts in the province where the legal proceedings against all these culprits should begin swiftly.
Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “I have given law enforcement apparatus a target of 72 hours to arrest all those involved in facilitating, abetting and perpetrating the disgraceful incidents of arson, ransacking, sabotage & damaging public & private properties. All available resources including technological aid & intelligence are being deployed to chase down these elements. Bringing these people to justice is a test case for the government. Their cases will be tried by the anti-terrorism courts.”
The arrest of former Pakistan PM Imran Khan on Tuesday outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) resulted in protests and demonstrations by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supporters across Pakistan.