Mocking the 'strict' security arrangements at district courts, a gunman shot and injured an under trial prisoner on Tuesday in yet another incident of firing at the court premises.An eyewitness talking to Daily Times, said about 11:30 AM a man wearing lawyers' dress, taking advantage of absence of a walk through gate security official, entered court premises.
At the same time, murder accused Rana Sarwat was coming out from the court of Additional Sessions Judge Wajahat Hussain after case hearing with special guard squad (SGS) of police. Sub-Inspector Ghulam Shabbir led four constables of SGS police.
Taking advantage of poor security arrangements, the man, later identified as Muhammad Iqbal opened fire on the accused and attempted to flee the scene but was captured at main exit of the court. The police recovered 30-bore pistol from his possession.
The police official Ghulam Shabbir said, Sarwat has received two bullets to his shoulder.
The injured man was taken to Pakistain Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), where the prisoner was discharged after emergency treatment and taken to the jail hospital.
Earlier, on September 11, 2011 in a similar firing incident at the same court beat feet while two other police officials received bullet injuries.
Shabbir said the shooter fired three bullets, two of which hit the Sarwat while third went astray.
Sarwat was indicted in a case of kidnapping a boy for ransom from Lahore and taking him to Islamabad and later killing him.
The kidnapping case was registered in Lahore while the murder case was registered at Bhara Kahu Police Station Islamabad. After the murder, Sarwat decamped to the US in 2001. He was pursued by the police and was finally incarcerated with the help of Interpol, a police official said.
Sarwat has completed his sentence in kidnapping case but the said court is hearing the murder charges.