LARKANA: Former MPA and a key leader of the Grand Democratic Alliance Moazzim Abbasi, his son, Waleed, and six other persons were booked by the Larkana police on Saturday after an alleged incident of firing outside former home minister Sohail Anwar Siyal’s residence three days ago.

The FIR was lodged by Syed Zulfiqar Ali, the caretaker of the Siyal House, at the Dari police station.

While Moazzim Abbasi rejected the complainant’s claim, several opposition leaders including Rashid Mahmood Soomro of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Sardar Abdul Rahim of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) called for withdrawal of the FIR. They and several other influential political figures were in contact with Anwar Siyal in their attempt to dissuade him from proceeding with the case.

However, the former home minister, speaking at a press conference on Saturday, appeared not ready to give a positive response to them. He believed that the alleged firing was aimed at sabotaging the Jan 20 arbitration aimed at settling disputes involving several communities of Larkana.

Suspects accused of firing outside former home minister’s residence; several opposition leaders condemn ‘fake FIR’; Sardar Rahim threatens Sindh-wide protest

Soon after registration of the case, Waleed Abbasi and Asad Tunio filed a plea for bail before arrest in the court of the First Additional Sessions Judge, Rashid Ali Dayo, who granted them an interim bail till January 13 in a sum of Rs50,000 each, said Advocate Javed Buledi, who appeared before the judge on their behalf.

In his FIR (No.03/2025), Zulfiqar Ali claimed that at midnight between December 30 and 31, a double-cabin vehicle without a registration number pulled up at the gate of the Siyal House. “Waleed Abbasi disembarked from the vehicle and inquired about Advocate Zaffar Anwar Siyal, saying that they were sent here to kill him,” the complainant claimed, adding that when he was told that Advocate Zaffar was not present, they started firing and “we had to rush back into the house to save our lives”.

The complainant further stated that the suspects, after creating an atmosphere of terror and fear, sped away by firing into the air. He also alleged that the firing was resorted to at the behest of Mozzaim Abbasi.

Abbasi rejects allegations

On his part, Moazzim Abbasi instantly rejected the allegations at a hurriedly called press conference late Friday night at Kot Dorab, situated in Waleed town of Larkana district. “No incident of firing has taken place there,” he said, though he owned the vehicle in question.

He said he met the Larkana SSP when the latter sent him a video clip “while I was in Dadu”.

Abbasi said he tried his best to persuade the SSP to help resolve the issue amicably but in vain and the police officer gave a go-ahead for the registration of the FIR. Abbasi urged the IGP and Larkana DIG to order a transparent probe into the matter. “We have been facing such false cases for 10-15 years but courts exonerated us every time,” he said.

Siyal terms incident a ‘conspiracy’

Defending his side’s act of lodging the FIR, the former minister, Suhail Anwar Siyal, also addressed a news conference in the Larkana Press Club and described the alleged firing incident as a conspiracy. He argued that when the vehicle involved was registered, then why it did not bear a registration number plate.

“Our act is not political victimisation,” he said, and suspected that the incident was an attempt to sabotage the January 20 arbitration for settling disputes among the Chandio, Jatoi, Dahani and Syed communities. “We have taken legal course after pondering over it for three days,” he said.

Quoting the Larkana SSP as saying that the Abbasis were ready to negotiate a settlement, Siyal said, “but we insisted on the arrest of nominated suspects first”.

He said Maulana Rashid Soomro contacted him by phone and visited his residence for a patch-up, and Chandio chieftain MPA Sardar Khan Chandio also made a telephone call in this regard. “Sardar Chandio would be visiting me tonight; let’s see what happens,” he added.

Rashid Soomro condemns FIR

JUI-F Sindh General Secretary, along with Moazzim Abbasi, spoke to the media to condemn registration of the FIR.

He remarked that politics of tolerance and accommodation in the country was shrinking.

He recalled that he and his father Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro had in the past contested polls against PPP’s Benazir Bhutto and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and still adhered to the politics of tolerance. He urged Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to order an impartial inquiry into the alleged firing incident and ascertain whether Moazzim Abbasi or his son were present there when the alleged firing was resorted to. “JUI-F will not tolerate character assassination of Moazzim Abbasi and his son under the excuse of this FIR,” he warned.

Sardar Rahim threatens Sindh-wide protest

PML-F General Secretary Sardar Abdul Rahim, in a press statement issued on Saturday, condemned registration of the FIR against the former GDA MPA, Moazzim Abbasi, and his son Waleed Abbasi. He said none of them was present outside the Siyal House at the time stated in the FIR.

He asked the police that why they booked them under a false FIR and invoked ATA sections in it.

He called for withdrawal of the case, “else his arty would launch a Sindh-wide protest campaign.

Sindh United Party leader Syed Zain Shah also condemned the FIR and called it “political victimisation” by the PPP against the opposition leader. He alleged that the Sindh government was using institutions against its political opponents and this FIR was its clear proof.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2025