Ansarul Islam: Police conclude op to oust JUI-F volunteers from Parliament Lodges

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police concluded the operation to oust the volunteers of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s (JUI-F) Ansarul Islam Force from the Parliament Lodges, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Following the directives of the deputy inspector general (DIG), police personnel started an operation to remove Ansarul Islam volunteers from the Parliament Lodges.

Police officials and some National Assembly (NA) lawmakers came face-to-face after the higher authorities took the decision to oust remove the JUI-F volunteers.

According to reports, police started arresting the JUI-F volunteers. A prison van was brought to the Parliament Lodges prior to the commencement of the police operation.

It was learnt that MNA Salahuddin Ayubi and Senator Kamran Murtaza were also taken into custody, whereas, the authorities rejected reports regarding the arrest of any lawmaker.

Officials said that only those persons are being arrested by the cops who are resisting the operation to oust Ansarul Islam volunteers.

JUI-F supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman reached the Parliament Lodges along with other opposition leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

He announced presenting himself before to police to arrest him alongside the JUI-F workers. Fazlur Rehman also called the JUI-F workers to take to the streets to protest against the police action.

Police concluded the 30-minute operation to clear the Parliament Lodges from Ansarul Islam volunteers in which 18 persons were arrested including MNA Salauddin Ayubi, Jamaluddin and Mufti Abdullah.

Some volunteers of Ansarul Islam have managed to leave the Parliament Lodges after changing their uniforms.

The arrested persons were shifted to Secretariat police station. After concluding the operation, police officers and personnel left the premises of the Parliament Lodges.

Sheikh Rasheed

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said in a statement that police tried to resolve the matter via talks but they did not obey the orders.

He said that national security is the top priority of the federal government. Rasheed added that a terror threat was already issued in Islamabad.

The interior minister, while talking to ARY News today, criticised that the opposition party was using the tactics after failing to get the support of the required number of lawmakers for the no-confidence motion.

He said that big events are going to be held in Islamabad in the coming day. Sheikh Rasheed requested the opposition parties not to repeat such mistakes.

Ansarul Islam ‘rehearsal’

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s (JUI-F) volunteer group Ansarul Islam has started rehearsal to take over security of the National Assembly (NA) ahead of the no-confidence motion.

Ansarul Islam volunteers said that they have started preparation for the security on the guidance of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. In a video available with ARY News, the members of the JUI-F security group can be seen in the Parliament Lodges.

We will take over the security after a go-ahead from Fazlur Rehman. Describing the reason to reach Parliament Lodges, the volunteers of Ansarul Islam said they are here to protect the MNAs ahead of the NA session for the no-confidence motion.

The check-post in-charge, inspector in-charge and line officer have been suspended over failure to block the entry of Ansarul Islam volunteers from the Parliament Lodges.