MULTAN: Police have lodged a first information report (FIR) into the firing on the convoy of PPP candidate for NA-157 Ali Musa Gilani on Thursday night.

Shah Shams police lodged the FIR on the complaint of Rana Kamran Aslam, a resident of Mahmoodabad Colony, who informed the police that he was supporting Gilani junior for NA-157 and Rai Mansab Ali for PP-219.

He said a corner meeting of the two candidates was organised in the area. As soon as Gilani departed from the venue, Ijaz alias Jajji Dogar, whose union council office was located next to the corner meeting venue, along with other unidentified armed men came out and started hurling abuses and hit a vehicle of the convoy with clubs. Aslam alleged that Ijaz also opened fire.

Police lodged a case under sections 324, 188, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari condemned the firing incident saying that obstacles and restrictions could not stop the PPP from moving forward. He demanded the suspects be arrested and protection be provided to PPP candidates.

“The political orphans are using cheap tactics due to my efforts to end the ideological crisis in Punjab,” he stated.

PPP south Punjab President Makhdoom Ahmad Mahmood, Senior Vice President Khwaja Rizwan Alam and other party office-bearers also condemned the incident demanding the election commission take strict notice of such incidents.

“The PPP will contest the elections at any cost and the elements that were afraid of the PPP candidates and their progressive thinking will fail in their agenda,” a press release issued by the PPP south Punjab chapter stated.

They said providing protection to not only PPP candidates, but all others was the responsibility of the election commission and the interim government.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2018