Raiwind Terrorist Operation Another debacle of Punjab Police
Lahore, Pakistan: Raiwind Terrorist Operation is another debacle of Punjab Police. Security forces operation in Al-Janat Colony (Heaven Colony) of a small village namely Kot Arian Raiwind Road Lahore where police killed seven terrorists exposed the fact again that Station House Officers (SHOs) of Punjab police can never be serious to collect data about people residing in their respective areas. The operation was jointly conducted by local police, Punjab elite force, Rangers and army personnel. Local police station staff has no information who was living in this house and for how long terrorists were there. Operation was initiated by intelligence and security agencies on the tip off from Ministry of Interior. CID or Special Branch of Punjab police had no information or idea of terrorists den very near to private residence of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif— Jati Umrah Palace.
Kot Araian is densely populated village at the borders of agriculture lands of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif family. There is no village/ big or small construction/town between the boundary walls of residential Palace of Mian Nawaz Sharif (known as Jati Umrahh) and Kot Araian where terrorists were living since the last six months.
Police said that the house where terrorists were residing is owned by Dr Manzoor but local people claim this house is owned by Muhammad Sataar who gave this house on rent to one Ahsan Mahboob from Okara. Initially rent of this house was Rs.2,500 but Sataar came to know that Ahsan Mahmoob had accommodated another family from Khybar Pakhtun Khawa (KPK) so he doubled the rent from 2,500 to 5,000 rupees.
This operation again exposed working of Lahore police that has no record of people living in areas of respective police station (Thana). This house was rented six months ago but local police station did not have any information about tenants although this is very sensitive area due to its proximity with the private residences of Prime Minister Pakistan and Chief Minister Punjab.
One can understand that if police do not have information about people residing just around private residences of Prime minister of the country and the chief minister of the province, how Police could have information about other areas that are not considered as sensitive by intelligence agencies?
Interior ministry of Pakistan sent a letter to Punjab police indicating there are reports that terrorists were trying to rent houses close to private accommodation of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and his brother Mian Shahbaz Sharif who is Chief Minister of the province. However no proper checking of areas around Jati Umrah was every done by police, CID or special Branch.
Now Police claimed that Al_Qaeeda terrorists have been killed in the operation but intelligence agencies claim that terrorists looked operatives of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi that provides support to Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Sahiwal, Okara, southern Punjab from where tenant Ahsan came are known terrorist hiring areas of LeJ.
Terrorists managed to gather sophisticated weapons including RPGs, hand grenades and telescope fitted long range sniper rifles in this house. The militants have fired three rockets at the security forces during action. After the completion of operation, police officials said that nine militants besieged in a residential compound in Araiyan Pind near Raiwind road were killed by the security forces while two elite force men also lost his life during the exchange of fire.
The Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigation Nawaz Marwat said that an operation was launched at 2am after an information about presence of a group of militants in the area which is a few kilometers away from Raiwind Palace.
However, an intense firefight erupted between the security forces and the heavily armed militants which ended with the death of nine militants.
A huge cache of ammunition, weapons and explosives was also reportedly recovered from the militant’s hideout.
The media reports citing the security forces said that militants were planning an attack on the Prime Minister House which is a few kilometers away from the militants’ house.
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Raiwind Operation against Al Qaeda militants
