Moaz Chohan, the son of PML-N leader Nazir Chohan and Adil Gujjar, the son of Khalid Gujjar of PTI, were injured in a clash between the workers of both parties during an election campaign for the upcoming by-polls of PP-167 in Johar Town police precinct on Sunday.
Both Khalid Gujjar and Nazir Chohan accused each other of firing during the election campaign. Police took two persons into custody and registered the First Information Report (FIR) against unidentified assailants, concealing facts although the suspects could be identified in the footage that went viral soon after the incident.
The police did not mention the persons who got injured in the firing. The firing incident took place late Saturday night when the workers of both PTI and the PML-N were on their way to a campaign site near Allahu Chowk of Johar Town.
The video clearly showed that Nazir Chohan was there with a group of armed men. “I was on my way back home after the election campaign when PTI workers opened fire,” claimed Nazir Chohan, adding that the incident took place near Allahu Chowk. As a result of firing, Moaz, the son of Chohan, was injured by a bullet while his guard was beaten by a rod on the road. On other hand, Khalid Gujjar of PTI claimed that Chohan was present there in front of their office and was removing their flexes.
“Our worker was hit by their vehicle and my son was left injured,” said Gujjar, adding that they shifted the injured to Jinnah Hospital. “We are conducting medico-legal of my son and other workers at Jinnah Hospital,” said the PTI leader.
He also complained that the police were not entertaining their application for the registration of an FIR against the PML-N leader and workers. “In the video, it can be clearly seen that Chohan along with his armed men is attacking the PTI workers,” PTI leader Gujjar said.
Nazir Chohan also approached Johar Town police with an application to lodge an FIR against the PTI leaders. But the police did not consider either of the application and concealed the facts in the FIR registered on the complaint of Assistant Sub-Inspector Muhammad Ameen. “The workers had fled as we reached there,” read the FIR, quoting ASI Muhammad Ameen, who was on patrol in the area at the time. According to the FIR, the police recovered at least 12 bullet shells from the spot and started an investigation.
The police, in its FIR, also confessed that they reached the spot late and mentioned the clash between the PML-N and PTI workers at Allahu Chowk. The police also admitted in the FIR that there was a threat of a clash between the two parties. Interestingly, the police inserted a section related to “attempt to murder” in the said case but did not mention even a single injured person despite the fact that the injured were undergoing treatment at Jinnah Hospital.
Meanwhile, Punjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar strongly condemned the attack on PML-N candidate Nazir Chohan and suspended Johar Town police SHO for failing to maintain law and order in the area. Addressing a press conference, Tarar said that the concerned SP would be called for a report on why weapons were not banned.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday ordered a “detailed inquiry” into the clash. In written instructions to the Lahore Capital City Police Officer, the electoral body’s district monitoring officer Nabeel Ahmed noted that an “incident of firing/clash” had occurred near the Allah Hoo Chowk between a “PML-N candidate and PTI workers”, and initial inquiry reports suggested that few people had been injured.
“In this regard, a detailed inquiry into the incident may be conducted immediately and report thereof be shared with this office,” he said. Political affiliations, the official added, would not be taken into account during the investigation process, asserting that all police officials should be directed to ensure the implementation of the electoral code of conduct.
