ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police on Thursday conducted an operation inside Parliament Lodges after members of Ansarul Islam, a ‘militant’ wing of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), entered the lodges and arrested ten members of the group along with its MNA Salahuddin Ayubi.

The police said that the ‘militants’ of Ansarul Islam gathered at green area of D-Chowk and then moved to parliament lodges.

Ansarul Islam entered into the room of MNA Salahuddin Ayubi where the MNA along with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ayaz Sadiq, and others were also present.

Police reached there to vacate members of Ansarul Islam and also start negotiations with JUI-F’s MNA Salahuddin Ayubi.

19 including JUI-F MNAs arrested as police concludes operation in Parliament Lodges

Talking to journalists Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that the police kept negotiating with the JUI-F to handover the people associated with the group, but they refused, leaving the police with no option but to launch an operation.

He said that under the constitution, no one is allowed to keep private militia, adding those who will take law into their hands will be dealt with iron hand.

He said that those coming towards Islamabad will be rounded up on their way to Islamabad. He said that the ‘drama’ staged by JUI-F is nothing but seeking an escape as they have realised they are not going to succeed in their no-trust move against the prime minister.

He said that all the four IGs have been directed to round up all those taking law into their hands, adding the MNAs of JUI-F have not been arrested as they went to police station just for the cheap publicity of the company – JUI-F.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022