Election campaign: Clash leaves two PTI workers dead

Anti-terrorism court grants bail to two arrested suspects

LAHORE: A clash between the supporters of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf left two workers of the Imran Khan-led party dead and six more injured in Lahore late Sunday night.

As the race for local government elections heats up, supporters of rival parties have clashed several times in different areas.

The PTI has warned the ruling party of serious consequences if its workers are harassed in the future. The party has also demanded the immediate arrest of the murderers of its workers, calling for the case to be tried in a military court.

Investigation officer Saqlain Gondal told The Express Tribune that the PML-N and PTI officer-bearers were sitting side by side in the latter’s office when the clash broke out. The prime suspect, Malik Tariq alias Pappa, and his bodyguards opened fire at the victims with Kalashnikovs and 9mm handguns.

At least eight people suffered bullet wounds and were shifted to a nearby hospital, where one of them named Khurram Shahzad was pronounced dead. Another victim, Muhammad Arif, succumbed to his injuries later. The injured were identified as Ali, Abdul Moeen, Haroon Butt, Ali Gilani, Challay Khan and Ali Baloch.

Granted bail

Yakki Gate police have registered a case against eight suspects identified as Tariq, Malik Ditta, Yousuf, Khawar, Tara Butt, Khurram Butt, Chaudhry Zahid Hussain and Ahmad Rasheed. Two of the suspects have been arrested while all others are absconding.

An anti-terrorism court granted interim bail to the two suspects till November 1, after they told the court that murder charges against them were baseless as they, being candidates for chairman and vice-chairman slots, were busy in their election campaign when the incident took place.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2015.