Protest: Sarwar tells govt not to test PTI’s patience

Relatives of deceased PTI worker end demo on Operations DIG’s assurance

LAHORE: Relatives of a Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) activist who died on Sunday after remaining hospitalised for a week for bullet wounds suffered in a shooting on October 31 staged a demonstration in front of the Governor’s House to register their protest against the police and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders in the district.

The protesters kept the body of the deceased Muhammad Hayat, whose nephew had won the election against a PML-N ticket holder in UC 105 (Phoolnagar), on The Mall and blocked it for traffic for several hours. Traffic on The Mall was, meanwhile, diverted to adjacent roads.

Hayat had remained under treatment at Jinnah Hospital for a week. He was shot and injured in firing at his dera on October 31. The FIR registered in the case accused the PML-N candidate, Ghulam Yasin and his accomplices of shooting at the dera. One of Hayat’s nephews, identified only as Abdul, had died on the spot.

The FIR mentioned Ghulam Yasin, Tanveer, Munir, Zahid, Azeem Yasin, Waseem, and Amin among the suspects.

On Sunday, a heavy contingent of police, led by Civil Lines SP Irfan Samu and SHO Abid Rasheed, visited the scene and talked to the protesters.

The protesters allowed the police eventually to carry the body to the mortuary for a post-mortem examination after Operations DIG Haider Ashraf assured them of swift action in the matter.

Speaking to the media, Ashraf said no stone would be left unturned in the arrest of the killers of the deceased. He said security of the affected family would also be ensured.

Talking to the Tribune, Mushtaq, a relative of the deceased, said people related to the PML-N candidate were threatening the family with dire consequences if it pursued the case. He said the district police were reluctant to take action against the suspects because of pressure from senior PML-N leaders in the district.

The protesters were joined by PTI Punjab organiser Chaudhry Sarwar, MPA-elect Shoaib Siddique, former provincial president Ejaz Chaudhry and MPA Saadia Sohail.

Sarwar warned the provincial government and the police to not test the patience of his party’s workers.

He said demonstrations would be staged in every neighbourhood bringing the city to a standstill if killers of the PTI men were not arrested soon. Sarwar said the PML-N leadership was responsible for the killing of the PTI activists. “The provincial government is protecting the killers,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2015.