Karachi police on Sunday registered a case following an attack on the office of a PTI-affiliated independent candidate last night in the city’s Azizabad area.
PTI Karachi spokesperson Falak Almas said that the incident occurred at the main office of PTI-affiliated candidate Arsalan Khalid, who will be running for NA-248 in the upcoming general elections.
Last night, the party’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) had also posted a video of the incident. It had alleged that “MQM goons” had attacked its election offices for NA-248 and PS-125
“NA-248 candidate Arsalan Khalid got a head injury and other people present were badly injured and valuables damaged,” the party had said. The video had showed Khalid clutching his head and blood stained his clothes and posters within the election camp torn down.
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan also held the MQM responsible for the attack. “This cowardly attack proves that MQM has nothing to offer the people of Karachi except violence,” he said.
Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Central Faisal Abdullah Chachar told Dawn.com that police had taken notice of the incident and lodged a first information report (FIR) under relevant sections of the law pertaining to “riots and injuries”.
According to the FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the case was registered under Sections 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 337-A (punishment of shajjah) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation).
Azizabad Police station Head Moharar Rafiq Meo said the report was lodged against approximately “100-200” persons on Khalid’s complaint. He said that the PTI had arranged a milad programme at an empty plot where a few dozen party workers were present.
Meo said the area police were not informed about the gathering and there was no security either as it was not a political or election-related event. The policeman said the complainant did not nominate any person or party workers in the FIR.
He added that around five to seven suspects wearing masks attacked PTI workers, causing injuries to one or two persons. However, Meo denied the party’s claim that Khalid was injured in the incident, adding that no one had been arrested thus far.
