MUZAFFARABAD, Dec 27: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly member Syed Ghulam Murtaza Gillani on Tuesday handed himself over to police at his residence here for allegedly manhandling staffers of intelligence agencies. Talking to journalists after his arrest, Mr Gillani said that he had been charged with a crime he had not committed and added that ‘hidden hands’ were stopping him from serving masses.

Referring to the incident which led to his arrest, he said that in the Upper Chatter area, a man hurled abuses at him and picked up a brawl with him. Then five armed men tried to attack him but he was rescued by some people present there.

He said that he respected the Pakistan Army and the FIR lodged against him was baseless. “I am a member of the assembly and masses have elected me because they trust me,” he added.

DSP Riaz Abbas confirmed that Mr Gillani had been arrested for fighting with personnel of intelligence agencies. —-Online