Three held for firing at PPP man’s office

Faisal Mir alleges PML-N and PTI behind attack

LAHORE: Police claimed to have arrested three suspects for their alleged involvement in a firing incident outside Pakistan Peoples Party NA-120 (PPP) candidate Faisal Mir’s office.

The suspects, identified as Asad, Hamza and Sher Ali, riding in a car, opened fire outside Mir’s office at Neeli Bar Chowk Islampura on Monday night and fled the scene. The incident created panic in the locality and the politician blamed the government for their tactics to harass opponents.

MQM accuses PPP of firing only 'Urdu-speaking' employees 

SP City Adil Memon said they have arrested suspects after getting the car number plate captured through CCTV footage. Weapons were also recovered from their possession. According to initial investigations, the suspects did not belong to any political party, but police were looking further into the matter.

Opposition parties have alleged the government has used state machinery, including the police, to influence the vote in the NA-120 by-election.

Speaking at his office after a meeting at Election Commission, Mir said:  “Organisations, supported by PML-N and PTI, threatened PPP of bomb blasts and attacks and kept us away from campaigning.” He added PML-N workers walked around every street of the constituency and harassed PPP voters and supporters.



Mir said that in the presence of Punjab police and PML-N goons, only the Pakistan Army can control the situation.

A week ago, photos of a Lahore police inspector named Muhammad Fayyaz, who was sitting at the campaign camp of the ruling party, had gone viral on social media. Fayyaz told The Express Tribune that he had nothing to do with the campaign and he lived in the area of the camp since his childhood.  “I was standing with relatives and had not asked or convinced anyone to vote for any political party,” he claimed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2017.