Owaiz Muzaffar attack: Warrants issued for Sherazis of Thatta

They were accused of opening fire at a convoy of Owaiz Muzaffar on election day.

HYDERABAD: An Anti Terrorism Court on Thursday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for members of the Sherazi family in Thatta and their supporters over an alleged attack on Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Owais Muzaffar.

After winning one National Assembly and three Sindh Assembly seats as independents from Thatta, the Sherazis had joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Those who are accused in the case include MPA Syed Aijaz Shah Shirazi, his brother Syed Shafqat Shah Shirazi, the runner-up candidate on NA-237 Syed Riaz Shah Shirazi and former taluka Nazim of Ghora Bari Nazeer Kehar.

The Shirazis among 15 other people were nominated in an FIR, including five with their names, and the remaining as unknown for ordering and shooting at Muzaffar's entourage on election day. Two of Muzaffar's guards received bullet wounds as a result of the attack.

Muzaffar though escaped the attack unhurt.

A case was lodged on May 12 at Ghora Bari police station on the complaint of Aftab Pathan, an associate of Muzaffar.

Pathan complained in the FIR that they were attacked when they reached in a convoy of cars at Moosa Kehar polling station in village Abdullah Kehar.

Usman Malkani and Ghulam Qadir Malkani, who were also nominated in the FIR, have been acquitted in the case. The Malkanis had joined the PPP after the elections.

The Shirazi group won four provincial assembly seats and one National Assembly seat from Thatta while the PPP candidates including Muzaffar won only one NA and one PS seat.

The result of NA-237, won by PPP's Sadiq Memon, has been withheld after the Supreme Court disqualified Memon after the elections over his dual nationality.