Mirpur: Police in Mirpur have arrested 12 people for allegedly disrupting public order, forcing traders to shut their businesses and creating unrest on major roads, while efforts are underway to apprehend a suspect identified in a firing incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khurram Iqbal said on Saturday.
Speaking to the media, the SSP said normal life had largely returned to Mirpur Division following the first phase of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly elections held on July 27. He said political celebrations concluded peacefully and commercial activities had resumed across the city after the electoral process.
However, Khurram Iqbal alleged that some individuals attempted to disturb the peaceful environment by staging protests on key roads, raising slogans against state institutions and pressuring shopkeepers to close their businesses a day after polling. Police responded swiftly, arresting 12 suspects for their alleged involvement in the incidents, he added.
The SSP said one suspect allegedly involved in the reported firing had been identified and police teams were conducting raids to arrest him. Reaffirming the force’s commitment to maintaining law and order, he warned that strict and impartial action would be taken against anyone attempting to disrupt peace, while urging parents to encourage their children to respect the law and contribute to a peaceful civic environment.