ISLAMABAD: Unknown people riding four Vigos opened fire on three police vans in which 82 PTI workers and three MPAs were being shifted from Islamabad to Attock jail on Friday afternoon, police said.
After the armed attack at the Sangjani toll plaza, the three MPAs Anwer Zeb, Liaquat and Yasir Qureshi and a number of PTI workers escaped from the vans. The PTI workers and MPAs were arrested in connection with the recent protest at D. Chowk in Islamabad.
The police said the attackers had waylaid at the Sangjani toll plaza and as soon as the police vans reached there the armed persons opened fire on the vans. The tyres of the vehicles were also burst. A number of police officials guarding the prisoners were injured and shifted to hospital.
Later, Inspector General of Islamabad police Ali Nasir Rizvi told a TV channel that all the prisoners who had escaped from the vans had been arrested again.
He said the two MPAs who had escaped along with others were also arrested and shifted back to Islamabad. He said the attackers were about 20, including a son of one of the three MPAs.
The IGP said police also arrested four of the attackers, including the MPA’s son AND two officials of KP police.
Meanwhile, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur termed the incident a drama staged by the Islamabad police.