HYDERABAD: Cantonment police have lodged a case under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) against councillor-elect Abdul Rehman Pathan from ward-4 of the Cantonment Board Hyderabad (CBH), Cantonment General Hospital Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Farid Shaikh and several others for attacking a voter of the rival candidate.

The case was lodged in the wake of a brawl that took place outside the male polling station set up in Federal Government Boys High School. It was lodged on the complaint of Gohar Khan under sections 506(2), 147, 148, 149, 114, 504, 337A(i), 337 F(i) PPC and 6/7 ATA 1997 against the CBH’s hospital MS, councillor-elect, his son Adnan Pathan and nephews Wahaj Pathan, Amir Pathan and Rehan Pathan; Qaiser Mari, Shiraz Durrani, Aftab Durrani and Faraz Durrani.

The complainant said he was going to cast his vote when Amir Pathan — who was present with Dr Farid Shaikh’s guards — hurled abuse at him, threatening that he would face serious consequences if he did not vote for the ‘pressure cooker’, election symbol of Rehman Pathan. Amir, who carried a Kalashnikov, hit him with his weapon’s butt, causing a fracture in his hand, he added.

Also read: Cantonment elections

Then, he said, guards Abdul Rehman Pathan and Aftab Durrani, beat him, his brother Aijaz Khan and son Kamil Khan. “During this Dr Farid Shaikh and Rehman Pathan were screaming that since you have voted for the PPP candidate and against us, therefore, you will have to face the music. Dr Farid was saying that your candidate has filed a complaint aga­inst me, but he couldn’t do anything and I [Farid] will see how will you guys win,” read the FIR.

He said his FIR against Dr Farid Sheikh, Abdul Rehman Pathan, Amir Pathan, Qaiser Marri, Rehan Pathan, Adnan Pathan, Shiraz Durrani, Aftab Durrani, Wahaj Pathan and Faraz Durrani should be lodged.

PPP’s candidate Ibrahim Qureshi has lost the election with nine votes against Abdul Rehman Pathan.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2015

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