KP-Centre row leaves provincial police in a fix

• As many as 11 KP police personnel held by the Punjab police.
• At least 41 employees of Rescue 1122 also held during PTI rally.
• Authorities impound vehicles of the Rescue 1122 department.

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have been put in a tough spot after several of its policemen and officials were held by Islamabad and Punjab police amid the recent protest by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the federal government, The News reported on Monday.

At least 11 KP police personnel and 41 employees of Rescue 1122 were held by the Punjab police for accompanying a protest rally in the capital city led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

The crackdown came as the federal and Punjab governments took stern action against the workers of the Imran Khan-founded party who marched into Islamabad to hold a protest rally.

The federal capital has seen days of unrest owing to the PTI's protest with authorities resorting to firing tear gas and placing containers across the city to prevent the party workers' march.

Apart from the provincial government's personnel and officials being held, 22 vehicles of the Rescue 1122, Peshawar Development Authority and Local Government were also impounded.

"As many as 17 vehicles of the Rescue 1122 have been impounded by the police. Around 41 employees have been arrested,” an official of Rescue 1122 told the publication, adding that vehicles of other departments were also impounded.

The vehicles included ambulances, fire-trucks which were provided on the directives of the provincial government for emergency services, he added.

However, there were a number of other vehicles carrying heavy machinery to remove blockades on the way to Islamabad. There were reports that families of a number of the Rescue 1122 personnel held in Punjab and Islamabad announced staging protests outside the headquarters of the service if their loved ones were not released by Monday (today).

The PTI leadership had directed different departments to provide ambulances and other vehicles for emergencies as well as to remove barricades while on their way to Islamabad.

A large number of policemen along with official vehicles provide security to the chief minister and other cabinet members whenever they move.

Scores of these cops were accompanying the chief minister, and members of the cabinet during their march towards the federal capital.

"Some of these policemen have been arrested in Islamabad and other districts while they were providing security to the chief minister and other cabinet members," said an official.

Policemen performing duty with the chief minister and other ministers were in a fix in this entire situation. The same was the situation with the top bosses.

"You have to provide security to the chief executive of a province wherever he moves," said an official noting that the cops can't refuse security duty whether it was in KP or out of the province.

A scene was developed in Lahore a couple of years back when the chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan paid a visit along with his security during a protest at Zaman Park and his cops allegedly clashed with Punjab police.

On Sunday, a large number of PTI protestors entered the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly building in the Red Zone when a session was going on.

Heavy contingents of police were deployed near the Suri Bridge but they failed to stop the political protesters of the ruling party from entering the assembly building.

The KP police force is already on alert in the wake of frequent attacks on its men and establishments in southern districts and other parts of the province.

The force has sacrificed over 100 policemen in over 228 attacks only during the last nine months.