February 17, 2008	Sunday	Safar 09, 1429

MULTAN, Feb 16: Nearly a dozen people were injured in election-related violence in different parts of Punjab on Saturday.

In Multan, two people were injured when some PML-Q activists allegedly opened fire on a PPP rally led by party’s Vice-Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani.

The PPP leader is NA-151 candidate against former federal minister Sikandar Hayyat Khan Bosan. The party identified the injured as Allah Ditta and Irfan, both admitted to the Nishtar Hospital.

District Police Officer Muhammad Nawaz Warraich confirmed that two people had been injured while Gilani claimed that four participants had sustained bullet wounds.

In another incident, when the rally of Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani, the son of Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani who is contesting against Mian Fazal Mukhtar, the brother of City District Nazim Mian Faisal Mukhtar, for NA-150 reached opposite the office of Mirza Furqan Mughal, a PML-Q candidate for PP-196, some activists of PML-Q allegedly resorted to aerial firing and attacked the rally.

Mirza Furqan Mughal, however, said his election office was rather attacked by PPP men.

FAISALABAD: Some Pakistan Muslim League-Q supporters allegedly attacked an election office of the Pakistan Muslim League-N in Liaquatabad here on Saturday and shot injured an activist.

Though the police was swift in registering the case, no arrest was made till the filing of this report.

Anjum Niaz, a union council nazim and supporter of PML-Q candidate for PP-71, Faisal Kastroo, along with his accomplices attacked the election office being run by Munnawar Fayyaz in Liaqatabad No.2 to muster support for PML-N candidate Malik Muhammad Nawaz. The assailants shot at Munnawar and also ransacked the office before fleeing. Munnawar was taken to Allied Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical.

Sources said that Munnawar’s successfully canvassing for PML-N candidate for PP-71 had invited the wrath of PML-Q supporters.

The Jhang Bazaar police registered a case against Anjum Niaz and his accomplices. However, none of the accused has been arrested as yet.

GUJRANWALA: Two workers of the PML-N and PML-Q were injured in an exchange of fire over an election row here on Saturday at Bharoki Cheema village, Wazirabad.

After the incident, the police arrested PML-N aspirant for PP-104 former tehsil nazim Chaudhry Shaukat Manzoor Cheema and impounded his seven vehicles.

Reports said PML-N and PML-Q workers resorted to firing during electioneering on Bharoki Road. As a result, a PML-N worker and naib nazim Muqadas Cheema’s brother Imtiaz Cheema of the rival group were injured.

They were rushed to the Wazirabad THQ hospital where both the groups again started firing. Police reached the spot, seized seven vehicles of PML-N aspirant Shaukat Manzoor Cheema and arrested him. Later Cheema was released.

RAHIM YAR KHAN: Four people were injured in a clash between PML-Q and PML-F workers.

The PML-F said it had organised a rally to welcome its provincial president and NA-194 candidate Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mehmood at Basti Jumma Wali, near

Mianwali Quraishian. Meanwhile, some supporters of PML-Q candidate and former state minister for foreign affairs Makhdoom Khusroo Bakhtiar reached there. One of them, Rasheed Ahmed Khan Korai, stopped them from holding the rally. Later on Korai and his companions resorted to firing. As a result, Hafiz Abdur Rasheed and three others sustained injuries. 

After some time the caravan of Syed Ahmed Mehmood reached there and the security guards (of Ahmed Mehmood) captured Rasheed Khan Korai and handed him over to police.

His arrest angered the Korai tribe who ransacked the meeting venue.

In Sardar Garh, PML-Q workers allegedly burnt the PLM-F office and blocked the national highway for four hours. In the evening, representatives of PML-Q and PML-F held a meeting with DSP sadder circle. After the meeting police released Rasheed Ahmed Khan Korai.