RAWALPINDI: (Parliament Times) A band of daredevil motorcyclists attacked and attempted to set fire to a traffic police outpost in Rawalpindi’s Chandni Chowk area Friday morning, police said.
Two traffic wardens, Abdul Basit and Ikhlaq, were injured during the incident, which took place around sehri time, police said.
The hooligans also attempted to set vehicles and government-owned traffic police motorcycles ablaze, they added.
A heavy contingent of police and Elite Force personnel arrived at the site of the incident shortly after it was reported and arrested five motorcyclists, police added.
The five suspects were transferred to the New Town police station and a case was registered against them, Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Yousuf Ali Shahid told the news agency.
He said that police had launched a crackdown on ‘one-wheelers’ during Ramazan. In the first 20 days of the holy month, there had been a number of attacks on traffic wardens and 30 ‘one-wheelers’ were arrested, he elaborated.
On Thursday, a traffic warden was injured after being shot at by a motorcyclist doing a ‘wheelie’ on 6th Road before dawn.
Sohail Shahzad, the traffic warden, was on duty near 6th Road and had tried to intercept the motorcyclists on Murree Road.
In retaliation, the passenger riding pillion pulled out a pistol and shot the warden before the attackers sped away.
The CTO said that the ‘one-wheelers’ who have been arrested so far did not have driving licenses or registration papers for their motorbikes.
Shahid also said that the police are in talks with the owners of motorcycle showrooms to only sell motorbikes in installments to those who hold licenses.
