FAISALABAD: Though Khurrianwala police have booked more than 50 people on charges of thrashing policemen, attacking the police station and ransacking its property, it did not dare to mention the name of ruling party MPA in the FIR who allegedly led the mob.

The police registered the case against the attackers under Section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) and various sections of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The police however, did not mention the name of PML-N MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees in the FIR and only mentioned him as ‘a political personality’ of Khurrianwala who ‘led the mob and thrashed the policemen’.

According to witnesses, the MPA was leading the mob that had besieged the police station when some senior police officers arrived at the scene and they were witness to his role in the episode.

However, the FIR, registered on the complaint of SHO Khalid Pervez, mentioned only a ‘political personality’ forcing his entry along with some armed people into the police station and ‘severely thrashed’ a Sub-Inspector, Riasat Ali.

Police don’t mention name of ‘lawbreaker’ lawmaker in FIR

Section 7 of ATA, besides 148, 149, 186, 224, 225, 440 and 553 of the PPC, has been brought against the suspects, including the ‘political personality’.

The complainant said the ‘political personality’, along with his accomplices Zikria, Muzamal, Shabbir, Shafiq, Abu Bakar, Asif, Naveed and others, who were armed with guns and clubs, reached outside the police station on Saturday night and threatened to se its building on fire.

They were annoyed over arrest of a suspect, Zulfiqar alias Bhutto and four others, he added.

He said the main gate of the police station was locked, when the protesters led by the ‘political personality’ started pelting the police station building with stones and also used foul language against the police.

After a while, the SHO said, the ‘political personality’ summoned more than 40 people, some of them armed, who scaled the police station building. Some armed men took positions on the rooftop of the police station and others started throwing stones inside the compound, the FIR said.

It said the ‘political personality’ and his accomplices got released the handcuffed suspect Zulfiqar alias Bhutto and few others.

MPA, supporters free suspect in ‘counter raid’

The MPA and his supporters had reacted violently on Friday night following Khurrianwala police raided Mr Idrees’ outhouse to arrest a PO, Iqbal, carrying head money in a case of terrorism, murder and attempt to murder. On not finding Iqbal there, the police arrested his brother Zulfiqar alias Bhutto. The police also claimed to have recovered illegal weapons and some ammunition from the outhouse.

Sources said police high-ups were waiting for the report of an inquiry being conducted by SSP (investigation) Bilal Umer and Jaranwala SP that would decide the MPA’s fate. They said if the probe held the MPA guilty, his name would be included in the FIR.

An officer requesting anonymity told Dawn that government had clear stance that culprits be fixed without any discrimination.

Besides, another FIR has been registered against Zulfiqar alias Bhutto under Section 216 of the PPC and Section 13/20/65 of the Armed Ordinance.

Five family members of Bhutto, including his brother Iqbal, had been declared proclaimed offenders in a case registered in 2007 under sections 148, 149, 302, 324 of the PPC and 7-ATA, the sources said.

They said the police again raided the MPA’s outhouse on Saturday night, besides some other places, to nab other suspects.

To avert any untoward incident, the police strength in the area had been increased while elite force personnel were also deployed there, the sources said.

"We will apprehend all culprits who have challenged writ of the state. Several places have been raided in this regard," City Police Officer Dr Haider Ashraf told Dawn. He said more than 30 suspects had been arrested and more arrests were expected soon.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2014