MULTAN: The mother of Rustam-i-Multan Arshad Virk alias Achhi Pehlwan has leveled allegations against an MNA for issuing threats to her and her family and pressuring them to withdraw the murder case. The MNA denies the allegations.

The deceased was Rustam-i-Multan since 1999 and he was killed during a clash at a tea stall on TB Road on June 7.

Virk had gone to the tea stall of Sarwar Dogar after the Dogar group allegedly tortured his nephew at Ansari Chowk. Both the parties clashed which left Jaffar Hussain, a tea stall worker, dead on the spot while Virk lost his life in hospital.

Lawmaker denies charges

Addressing a press conference, Jannat Mai, the mother of Virk, said MNA Malik Amir Dogar (who is Chief Whip National Assembly) would not let the murderers of her son be punished.

“My son has been killed by the men of the MNA and a false allegation of killing a worker of the Dogar group has been leveled against my sons, Achhi Pehlwan and Muhammad Ashraf alias Achu Pehlwan,” she said.

She added the Dogar group had killed its worker itself and leveled the allegations against her sons and that the truth could be confirmed from the CCTV footage.

She warned of putting herself and the children of his deceased son on fire outside the residence of Mr Dogar if they were not provided with justice.

MNA Dogar, however, denied providing any support to the accused group, saying he had no link with any such group. He said he had nothing to do with the incident and never interfered in the matter rather he was sad over the loss of two lives in the incident.

He said Achhi Pehlwan was the asset of the city and he (MNA) had personal relations with him.

“I have neither any link with the murderers of Achhi Pehlwan nor are they my relatives while I also did not ask any officer to favour any party (involved in the case),” he said.

The Delhi Gate police had lodged two first information reports (FIR) of the incident on complaints of both parties. The accused from both sides are on bail.

Meanwhile, scores of wrestlers on Saturday held a protest outside the press club against the killing of Arshad Virk.

Published in Dawn, June 16th, 2019