MUZAFFARGARH: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Mian Fayyaz Ahmad Chajra’s son Mian Tajamal Hussain and his brother Mian Imtiaz Hussain were picked up by police in Lahore and unidentified people on Friday night in apparent attempt to force the MNA not to join the PTI.

Imtiaz Chajra was asleep at his outhouse in Qasba Gujrat when some personnel in black Vigo came and took him away, while Tajamal Chajra was taken away by police.

MNA Fayyaz Chajra has not yet submitted an affidavit to the PTI after the Supreme Court verdict on reserved seats.

Sources close to Mr Chajra said the MNA will stand with the PTI and submit his affidavit to the party leadership on Sunday, while MNA Jamshed Ahmad Dasti submitted his affidavit to PTI on Saturday.

A post by Senator Aon Abbas Bappi on X said that 16-year-old Tajamal Hussain, son of Fayyaz Chajra MNA, was also picked up from Lahore. His daughter was told to tell her father to leave PTI and join PML-N, or else he would never see his son again. Around 4am, 50 officials along with unidentified men abducted Imtiaz Chajra from Qasba Gujrat.

“The message is clear: do not join PTI,” he said.

Fear spread in Muzaffargarh district as PTI MNA Sardar Moazzam Khan Jatoi and Dr Shabbier Qureshi were expected to submit their loyalty papers to PTI on Sunday.

Fayyaz Chajra had defeated PPP candidate Malik Ghulam Raza Rabbani Khar in the general election by a significant margin with PTI support.

POLICE: The district police officer dismissed 10 employees, including one inspector, from service due to absenteeism on Muharram duty, incomplete uniform, absenteeism from roof duty and undisciplined duty.

DPO Hasnain Haider also conducted surprise visits to different imam bargahs, where he found that one inspector and 10 other police personnel were undisciplined.

He said that his teams were also checking police duties. Up to 1,230 majlis will be held during Muharram in Muzaffargarh and Kot Addu districts.

Sources said that army and rangers will be deployed on Muharram 9 and 10 to ensure foolproof security.

ROBBERY: A daylight robbery incident occurred on Jhang Road in the city area, where two motorcycle-riding bandits looted Rs300,000 from a Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) activist and escaped on Saturday.

Ali Sohrani was carrying the money after selling property. He is an employee of Ghazali Institute, a welfare institution of JI. After the incident, police from the city police station and officials from the JI reached the spot.

The police registered a case against unknown robbers. This was the third incident of daytime robbery this week. Earlier, an iron store owner was looted, and robbers also looted the Dilpasand General Store.

JI leader Umer Draz Farooqi and Prof Iftikhar Ahmad Hashmi criticised the police’s efficiency and demanded the arrest of the accused and recovery of the looted money.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2024