LAHORE - Police yesterday launched investigations after antique bracelets and a necklace were stolen away from Lahore’s Summit Minar museum on Friday.
A police spokesperson said that a theft case was registered with the Qila Gujjar Singh police station against unidentified protesters. A special team of police investigators is working on this case, he said.
Four antique bracelets were stolen away from a gallery beneath the Summit Minar erected in front of the Punjab assembly building on Friday.
A police officer told reporters that many participants of a rally organised by religious parties against the execution of Mumtaz Qadri stormed the small gallery and took away four antique artificial bracelets. He said the bracelets were gifted by some foreign dignitary as gifts when they had visited the monument.
The officer said that a theft case was registered against those who had arranged the rally. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Aziz-ur-Rehman, Executive Officer of the provincial works department.
Mumtaz Qadri, the former police bodyguard who shot dead a Punjab’s governor over his opposition to the misuse of blasphemy laws, was hanged in Adiala Jail on Feb 29.
Qadri shot Salmaan Taseer 28 times in broad daylight in Islamabad’s Kohsar Market on January 4, 2011. He was sentenced to death on Oct 1 the same year.
The Islamic Summit Minar is an obelisk-shaped structure built near the Chairing Cross on Mall Road. It was built to commemorate the organization of Islamic conference held in Lahore from February 22 to 24 in 1974.
The foundation stone of the 155-feet high minaret was on 22 February 1974 on the first anniversary of the conference. Underneath the minaret is a small gallery which houses antiques like pieces of art, paintings, and gifts from the countries that attended the conference. Further investigations were underway.