LAHORE - City police yesterday lodged a criminal case against PML-N leader Pervaiz Butt and some policemen for resorting to massive aerial firing at a wedding ceremony near the CIA Kotwali center in Lahore.
The top police officers took notice of the “police failure” after private news channels aired footages showing several men firing in the air with automatic weapons at a dance party.
The dance-party, also attended by some police officers, was arranged by PML-N leader Pervaiz Butt to celebrate the wedding of his son the other day. A few stage dancers also performed at the party where the participants were served liquor and drugs.
According to locals, the gunmen continued aerial firing throughout the night but the police did not bother to intervene. The venue was located a stone’s throw away from the CIA Kotwali center near Lahore’s Akbari Mandi. The massive gunfire triggered panic in the populated locality. As news channels aired footages of the gunmen, senior police officers yesterday ordered the concerned police to file a criminal case against the violators.
Aerial firing and display of firearms is strictly banned across the province. But the influential persons violate the ban in connivance with the police.
A police officer yesterday said that no arrest was made in the firing case so far. He said that the police were conducting raids to arrest the suspects.
Meanwhile, Punjab inspector general of police Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera took notice of the firing incident and directed the capital city police officer to send back a report of the incident at the earliest. The police chief also directed the Lahore DIG (Operations) to ensure strict action against the culprits.
A police spokesperson said that a departmental inquiry was also initiated against the policemen involved in this incident on the orders of DIG operations. He claimed that the officers found involved in this crime would be taken to task.