Eyewitness Report 10:30AM – Lahore Police Academy Siege

Eye Witness report drafted at 10:30am by Farooq Tariq the Spokesperson Labour Party Pakistan as posted by him on the Peoples Resistance network

lahore-police-academy-seige-1I am writing this at 10am on 30 March 2009.

As I arrived back from my usual morning walk around 7am, a massive round of firing was heard at my place. I asked my partner Shahnaz, if she noticed that, she said maybe, a routine matter and such incident of firing is taking place almost daily. Then another round of firing started, I told her this is very unusual. It went on for some time.

I live near Jallo Park, and not for from G T Road that leads to Wahgha border. Manawan Police Training Center is on this GT Road and just opposite to our place, around a kilometer away.

I turned to the television, there was not any mention of this firing, but the firing was still going on. Around 7.30am, some private television stations started telling that firing and some blast is heard at Manawan Police Training center and no more details.

Manawan is name of a village at the suburbs of Lahore and now it has become almost part of Lahore. Just opposite Manawan, a police training center is located on main GT Road Lahore. One of the newly formed trade union of New Khan Transport Workers Union Office is just opposite this police training center. Next to this center is a bus depot of private bus company New Khan Transport. We have gone to this office many times. The area is newly built.

Now at 10am, nearly after three hours of the firing, It is now clear from all the reports that terrorist have struck at this center killing at least 20 police trainees and injuring over 100. The firing is still on. I can hear that even at my home, a kilometer away from the scene.

Rangers and special police squad have come to the area while still they are not yet able to bring out all the injured from inside the compound. The private television channels are broadcasting scenes showing police men bodies lying at the morning police parade ground. The terrorist are still inside the compound.

I just called Kashif Aslam, a youth leader of Labour Party Pakistan Lahore, he lives very next to this Center, he told me that he heard massive blasts and then firing for a long time. He said many hundreds of people are watching the whole episode from their roof tops around the area. He had already left the area from back streets as the whole area is cordoned off already and GT Road a closed.

It seems that it is the same terrorist gang that had attacked the Sri Lanka cricket team on 2 March in Lahore. The gang is around ten persons who had all the latest arms and ammunitions. GEO tv reported that the gang has bags on their shoulders full of arms. They have now occupied roof top of the building. Although, police helicopter is seen flying over the compound.

After the attack on Sri Lanka cricket team, police had failed to arrest a single person involved in the attack. They group has now targeted a police center, it is believed that the numbers of the killed will be higher what is reported at present.

It seems that terrorist have a free hand to move around and choose the target of their own.

The religious fundamentalists terrorist group have definitely changed their tactics from suicide attacks to more urban terrorism. This is the second incident in one month in Lahore of such a nature. The terrorists get much more attention of public and media in cases like these. The Mumbai attack, the Sri Lanka cricket team attack and now in Manawan police training center attack, all seems of the same strategy of a group attack on a chosen high profile target.

The firing is still going on. The terrorists are still alive and fighting.

Farooq Tariq
Spokesperson Labour Party Pakistan


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