Ahle Sunnat workers protests colleague’s death

BAHAWALPUR:

A man was injured in a brawl last week between two religious groups in Khan Bela, died at a Rahim Yar Khan hospital on Saturday evening.

Muhammad Asghar (an Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat worker) and Zakir Hussain (a Shiite) had quarrelled. Hussain had then called some of his friends and they had beaten up Asghar.

Asghar was taken to Rahim Yar Khan Hospital, where he died on Saturday.

As news of his death spread, ASWJ workers in Rahim Yar Khan gathered at Khan Bela to stage a demonstration.

Police from Multan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar were called in to handle the crowd.

ASWJ leader Muhammad Ishaq’s son Muhammad Usman, Allama Rauf Rabbani and hundreds of ASWJ workers staged a demonstration at Khan Bela Chowk on Saturday and blocked traffic on KLP Road. Rahim Yar Khan DPO Sohail Zafar Chattha, SP Tanveer Tunio and ASP Zeeshan Shafique spoke to the protesters.
Asghar’s body was brought to Khan Bela and handed over to his family.
DPO Chattha requested the protesters to remain peaceful. He said that the men who had killed Asghar had been arrested.

He also said that an FIR registered against the ASWJ would be dismissed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2013.