CHAKWAL: Rivals of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) in Chakwal have accused a local MPA and his son of getting registered fake cases against them.

The district president of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Raja Yasir Sarfraz, was arrested on Tuesday on the charges of keeping substandard drugs in his medical store. Chaudhry Ghulam Haider, the righthand man of former district nazim Sardar Ghulam Abbas, was booked along with his son and two other relatives on the charges of beating and opening fire on PML-N activists over a property dispute.

Mazhar Hussain, the complainant in the case, has close contacts with MPA Chaudhry Liaquat Ali Khan.  

A property dispute was running between Mr Haider and Mr Hussain. Recently, Mr Haider started construction work on a plot but Mr Mazhar filed a case with a court, alleging that the plot was his property. The court issued a stay order. However, as Mr Haider presented documentary proof of ownership, the stay was vacated by the court. As Mr Haider restarted the construction work, his opponents tried to stop it, leading to a brawl between the two groups. The police registered a case against Mr Haider, his son and two other relatives for allegedly beating Mr Mazhar and his relatives and opening fire on them.

PTI leaders say fake cases registered against them at the behest of opposing MPA

“Throughout my life, I never hurled a stone at anyone but they booked me on the charge of opening fire. All this was pre-planned,” Mr Haider told local mediapersons on Sunday. “They implicated me in another fake case as a fake case was already registered against me two months ago,” he added.

He said the cases were politically motivated to victimise him and his group by Chauhdry Haider Sultan, the son of PML N MPA Chaudhry Liaquat Ali Khan. “Police have become a puppet in the hands of the PML-N politicians,” added Chaudhry Sajjad Haider, who was also booked along with his father, Mr Haider.

On the other hand, Raja Yasir Sarfraz, the district president of the PTI who was arrested on Tuesday, has been sent to the Adiala Jail. A case was registered against him with the drug court in 2013 on the charge of keeping substandard medicines at his medical store. On Tuesday, he presented himself to the court which cancelled his bail.

The district information secretary of the PTI, Raja Athar Zahoor, said Raja Yasir was arrested over a petty issue. “It was done to sabotage the November 30 rally but the PML-N cannot deter PTI workers and leaders from participating in the historic rally.” He said the medical store was jointly owned by four people but the police only arrested Raja Yasir.

Despite repeated attempts, MPA Liaquat and his son could not be contacted for comments. However, Mr Liaquat’s wife Iffat Liaquat, MNA, termed the allegations baseless. “We have nothing to do with these cases,” she said.

Published in Dawn, November 24th , 2014