SUKKUR: The media coordinator of Maleeha Soomro — the sister of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Mohammad Mian Soomro — was beaten up and his jeep was damaged allegedly by one of her political rivals, Wali Khan Jakhrani, at Pathar Morr off Quetta Road in Jacobabad district on Saturday.

The car was part of Ms Soomro’s motorcade that was heading for a camp to distribute relief goods among flood-hit families.

According to Ms Soomro, the car carrying her media coordinator, Arsalan Memon, was stopped by Wali Khan Jakhrani, a cousin of Pakistan Peoples Party leader Mir Aijaz Jakhrani. “He forced Memon to disembark and then beat him up … he and his bodyguards smashed the jeep’s windscreen with the butts of their guns,” she alleged.

Ms Soomro said that in the meantime, her car also reached the spot and she saw Wali Jakhrani pointing his gun at Memon. “But as soon as he saw my car, Jakhrani moved back and sped away by his jeep,” she claimed.

She said she proceeded to the City police station of Jacobabad to lodge an FIR under Anti-Terrorism Act but the police did not oblige arguing that it was not an act of terrorism.

Later, Mian Mohammad Soomro along with several local PTI local leaders and a number of his community members visited the City police station.

He contacted the IGP and Larkana DIG to apprise them of the incident.

Jacobabad SSP Dr Sumair Noor Channa told the media that the FIR could be registered but not under the ATA.

Wali Khan Jakhrani went to the Jacobabad Press Club to deny Ms Soomro’s allegations. He explained that Arsalan Memon was driving very fast and slightly hit his jeep which led to an altercation. Nothing like attack had happened, he added. He said he did not even know Arsalan Memon or about his association with Ms Soomro.

Published in Dawn, November 6th, 2022