ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday took notice of the clash between Internally Displaced Persons and police which took place in Bannu. He also called for a report of the incident.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister Media Office said that IDPs had sacrificed and left their homes in the best interest of the country. He directed the administration to eliminate their grievances and treat them with leniency.
At 10 IDPs from North Waziristan and 12 cops were injured in clashes with police during a food distribution drive after a stampeded broke out at the Bannu Sports Complex. Police opened aerial firing to disperse the crowd. The IDPs pelted stones at the police and started looting the ration centre. The police also baton charged and used tear gas against the IDPs in an effort to bring the situation under control. The Bannu-Kohat road was blocked by the IDPs in protest.
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Bannu Additional Superintendent of Police Riaz Khan said that over 10,000 IDPs had gathered outside Bannu Sports Complex to collect ration, tents and cash from the government. The brawl broke out when the police asked the IDPs to stand in a queue so as to maintain law and order amid the large crowd. However, some of the displaced persons from North Waziristan came out from their queues and began pelting stones at police officials.
According to Khan, the IDPs torched the shades in front of the sports complex and refused to accept cash and ration. Over a 100 IDPs were arrested from the sports complex and taken to different police stations across the city. Cases were filed against them and further investigation into the matter is under way. The injured, meanwhile, were shifted to nearby private clinics for medical treatment.
Earlier in June, two IDPs and a police officer were injured when a scuffle broke out at the same venue.