SAHIWAL: Harappa police booked 27 individuals, including women, arresting 11 of them, after a violent clash between two armed rival gypsy groups, blocking the Lahore-Multan National Highway near Daad Fityana for around two hours on Sunday night.

The police sources say the clash erupted over a fight among children of the rival gypsy groups belonging to the same clan living in makeshift tent houses near Daad Fityana.

The police confirmed that 11 suspects were arrested following the clash.

Harappa SHO Asif Sarwar says some of the gypsy persons also suffered minor bullet injures during the clash.

Police say rivals also exchanged fire; women too seen scuffling on road

Eyewitnesses say that members of the fighting groups also resorted to aerial firing with pistols and guns, creating panic among the locals and disrupting law and order.

The clash reportedly erupted when children from the two groups quarreled and were joined by their elders who first exchanged harsh words.

Soon the verbal clash escalated into physical confrontation, with individuals from both sides blocking the nearby national highway, where they allegedly exchanged fire as well.

As a result, the traffic coming from Lahore and Khanewal, on both tracks of the highway, came to a grinding halt as frightened commuters ran for safety, leaving the vehicles.

The police sources say that the firing by the rival groups, allegedly led byIsmail alias Pooni and Jabbar, continued for some time.

They says that women from both sides also joined the scuffles and blocked traffic.

The highway police alerted Harappa police, which arrived at the scene with an elite force contingent, dispersed the mob and restored traffic flow within 20 to 30 minutes.

However, members of each group continued their attempts to block the road at another point. The SHO told Dawn that individuals from both sides sustained minor injuries in the clash and the injured were taken away by their fellows instead of getting them treated by Rescue 1122 medical teams.

He adds that the main suspects and group leaders are still at large.

Later, on the complaint of Sub Inspector Rahat Nazir, Harappa police registered cases under sections 324, 341, 148, 149 of the PPC, and Section 16 of the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 on Monday.

Those booked include Jabbar, Sajad, Umer, Younas, Ismail alias Pooni, Jameel Sadiq, Amin, Amjad Hussain, and several unidentified women from both sides.

REMAND EXTENDED: Regional Anti-Terrorism Court special judge on Monday again extended the physical remand of four activists of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) for threedays, handing them over to Farid Nagar police, Pakpattan.

The court directed the police to produce the suspects -- Naseer Khan, Naeem Khan (advocate), Abdul Gaffar and Sajjad Hussaina -- gain on April 2.

Earlier, on March 27, the court had rejected the suspects’ bail application and granted the police their physical remand till March 30.

The four suspects were booked by Farid Nagar Police along with 58 other TLP office-bearers and activists for creating unrest and disturbing public order during a protest at Jamal Chowk, Pakpattan city, on October 13, 2025.

During the protest, organised on the call of TLP chief Saad Rizvi, the suspects allegedly chanted slogans against the government, pelted police vehicles with stones and damaged public property.

Pakpattan DPO Javed Chadhar stated that police have so far arrested 44 of the suspects.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026