Communal violence: Police clueless in attack on Ahmadi man

Ferozewala police have registered a FIR against three assailants.

LAHORE: The police said on Thursday it had no clue about the attackers who shot and injured an Ahmadi man in an attack which carried communal overtones on Wednesday.

Ferozewala police have, however, registered an FIR against three assailants for attacking Basheer Ahmed. No one has so far been arrested.

The complainant, on whose behalf the FIR was lodged, is the victim’s nephew, Zahid, who is not an Ahmadi. Local Ahmadis expressed reservations over the matter, saying that he ‘will favour the probable suspect’ in view of his beliefs.

Investigation officer, Assistant Sub Inspector Ishrat, talking to The Express Tribune also said that the complainant “is not cooperating with the investigation”.

A local Ahmadi questioned the complainant’s sincerity and said: “How can a Barelvi man take action against an accused of the same faith?”

He said that two witnesses identified in the FIR were also not Ahmadis.

The complainant, Zahid, told The Express Tribune that at this stage, he was trying to save his uncle’s life and he would take care of the assailants.

He said it was obvious his uncle was attacked for his beliefs, adding that he would take action against the attackers.

Talking about the FIR, he said he had clearly mentioned in the application that his uncle was an active member of the Jamat-e-Ahmadia and the local operatives of Khatam-e-Nabuwat organisation had attacked him with intent to kill.

He said that two years ago, an accused had confessed before the Shafiqabad police that a local office bearer of the Khatam-e-Nabuwat organisation, Qari Muhammad Ahmed Fareedi, had paid him to kill his uncle.

He said he had not mentioned this in the FIR. He added he wanted to offer “a reasonable cash prize to the person who will tell him about the real attackers”.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th,  2011.