People’s lives, property to be protected at all costs: Punjab IGP

LAHORE, Oct. 27 (APP):Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rao Sardar Ali Khan said on Wednesday that Punjab Police would fulfill its prime responsibility of ensuring protection to the lives and property of people of the province at all costs.

The IGP was addressing a news conference here, while Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) and Spokesperson of Government of Punjab Hasaan Khawar also accompanied him.

Rao Sardar Ali Khan, while mentioning the same proscribed group’s sit-in at Faizabad Rawalpindi in 2017, said that the banned organization is again on its track record of damaging state property and harming police officials on duty. The banned outfit has challenged the writ of the State and its charged activists subjected the policemen personnel to their violence. These violent protests by the proscribed organization have resulted in loss of life and massive damage to public and private property, he added. The state under no circumstances will allow any group to hold the entire country hostage or to take the law in its own hand, he maintained.

The police chief mentioned that two policemen lost their lives in the violent protests by the proscribed organization two day ago, asserting that today, the activist of the banned group shot straight at police officials which claimed lives of four police cops and 309 policemen sustained injuries, out of them 10 cops are in critical condition.

“Our love and respect for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is shared by all Muslims and Pakistanis and no group can claim this exclusively to itself. The law enforcement officials also share the same values. Islam is a religion of peace and what was taught to us by the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH), who taught us to remove stones and obstacles from the way for others. Islam doesn’t teaches us violence against the state,” he argued.

The state will not allow any group to sabotage peace in the society and the government’s foremost priority is to maintain peace, law and order, and to protect the lives and property of the citizens at all costs. The state under no circumstances will allow any group to hold the entire country hostage or to take the law in its own hand, he vowed.