TOBA TEK SINGH: People witnessed indiscriminate aerial firing between the guards of MPA Bilal Asghar Warraich and Abdul Rehman, nephew of former MNA late Chaudhry Ilyas Jat.

This incident is the continuation of a four-decade old enmity between the families of former MNA late Chaudhry Ilyas Jat and Gojra former MNA Amjad Warraich, which had almost ended after more than 100 murders from both groups with the death of Jat in 2015.

It reared its ugly head again after four years when Warraich’s younger brother MPA Bilal Warraich got registered a case for an attempt on his life in which one of his close aides was murdered on April 1 in firing at Bilal’s house. The case was registered against two nephews of Jat.

A first information information report of the Saturday firing was registered on the complaint of Gojra City Sub-Inspector Muhammad Amer under Section 7-1(a) of the ATA and sections 324, 353, 186, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code against 20 gunmen of MPA Bilal and 12 gunmen of Abdul Rehman.

It said that MPA Bilal and Rehman came to the city police station regarding investigation of the murder case of Bilal’s friend Umair Jat and when both groups confronted in Kacha Gojra Chowk they exchanged aerial firing due to which harassment was created and people present there ran to take cover. No arrest was made.

In this decades-old enmity, Bilal’s father ex MPA Ali Asghar Warraich and his brother Haq Nawaz Warraich were also among those more than 100 who were killed.

DROWNS: An 18-month-old baby drowned in a water tub in his house in Pirmahal on Saturday. The police said deceased Faizan Ali was sitting on a charpoy when he fell into the tub.

MEETING: A gathering was organised for local transgenders at the local government e-Library on Saturday to discuss measures to eliminate discrimination with them.

E-library in charge Muhammad Rizwan said the basic purpose of the meeting was to pay due honor to the socially disadvantaged gender of society.

Transgenders were briefed about e-Library and its resources. They were offered membership too.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2019