Attack on one, defence of all: Makkah pact

Medical board sources have revealed that injection marks were found on the arm and wrist of one of the two women who died at Township Police Station in Lahore. According to sources, around three and a half hours passed between the time the women were brought to the police station and their deaths. The sources said there was no significant difference in the post-mortem reports of the two women. The exact cause of death, however, has not yet been established. Police sources said the two women were not searched after being brought to the police station. They added that no female police personnel were present when the women were brought to the station. According to sources, both women were brought to the police station following a call made to emergency helpline 15. They reportedly remained seated near the station’s muharrir for around two hours. The muharrir was preparing to send the women to the female lock-up when the situation changed, sources said. Police officials said a case had been registered and the women were subsequently handed over to the investigation wing. They were reportedly being prepared for transfer to jail when both women collapsed. Sources further said there was no CCTV camera installed in the room of the investigation wing where the women were present. Police said female officers assigned to the station were deployed on duty at Data Darbar at the time. Officials maintained that women are searched before being placed in the female lock-up. Meanwhile, medical experts have suggested that the women may have died after consuming or being given a poisonous substance. Experts said the actual cause of death can be determined through forensic examination of samples collected during the investigation. The deaths have raised questions about the circumstances in which the women died while in police custody. Authorities are expected to rely on forensic evidence, post-mortem findings and other available evidence to establish the exact cause of death.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, July 26: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has revealed that more than 1,300 kilogrammes of explosives were used in the recent attack on a security checkpost in Tank. The governor made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the Regional Police Office in Dera Ismail Khan. He had attended a security briefing on the law and order situation in the region. Kundi described the attack on the Manji Khel checkpoint as a major and tragic security incident. He said 15 people, including 14 security personnel, lost their lives in the attack. Personnel from the Pakistan Army, police and Forest Department were among those who were martyred, he said. The governor said the huge quantity of explosives used in the attack reflected the seriousness and scale of the militant threat facing the province. He called for a united national strategy to counter terrorism. He said the federal and provincial governments, security forces and the public must work together to defeat militant groups. Kundi said Pakistan was facing security challenges from both internal and external sources. He praised the sacrifices made by security forces to protect the country and its people. The governor also alleged that terrorist groups were using Afghan territory to carry out attacks against Pakistan. He further claimed that weapons left behind in Afghanistan by international forces were being used in attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Kundi said neither the people nor the security forces would be intimidated by such attacks. He praised the courage of injured personnel whom he met during his visit. He said the recommendations presented by regional police officials would be conveyed to the federal government. He also said he would raise the issue of improving compensation and support packages for injured security personnel with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and the provincial government. The governor stressed that supporting the families of martyred and injured personnel was a collective responsibility. He assured them that the government would continue to support them. Kundi also called for stronger coordination between the federal and provincial governments. He said Islamabad and Peshawar must work closely to tackle the growing security threat. He urged authorities to expand intelligence-based operations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said he would discuss the matter with the provincial chief minister. According to the military’s media wing, militants had attempted to breach the perimeter of the joint police checkpost in Tank. Security forces responded quickly and killed 12 attackers. The attackers also drove an explosives-filled vehicle into the checkpoint’s perimeter wall. The resulting blast caused extensive damage to the infrastructure. The Tank attack comes as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to face a persistent threat from militant violence. In another recent operation in South Waziristan, security forces foiled a suicide attack and killed four terrorists, including the would-be suicide bomber. Kundi said restoring peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and surrounding areas remained a national priority. He praised police personnel for continuing to perform their duties despite difficult security conditions.