45 booked for taking lawyers hostage
Robbers keep Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani’s family hostage at gunpoint and get away with cash and gold worth Rs0.6 million unchallenged. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
Police have registered cases against 45 people, including Executive Engineer (XEN) Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (FESCO) Tandlianwala, on charges of threatening to kill lawyers by locking them in the room.
Ex-President Tandlianwala Bar Advocate Mehar Shakhawat Ali, in his cross-version to police, stated that on the afternoon of September 26th, President Bar Tariq Saleem, Secretary Chaudhry Sohaib Mehandi and lawyers Mustafa Wattoo Advocate and Shehzad Bhatti reached the office of WAPDA XEN in connection with personal work.
He further stated that when they arrived, XEN Ehsan-ul-Haq was talking to some private individuals, who introduced themselves as lawyers accompanying the President and Secretary and came to see him for personal business. On hearing this, the XEN got angry and reportedly started abusing the lawyers and judges.
Advocate Mehar Shakhawat Ali alleged in his testimony that the accused XEN drew a pistol from a desk drawer and threatened to them.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 29th, 2023.