GUJRAT: Police claimed on Wednesday to have arrested a suspect allegedly resorting to celebratory firing during a rally of PML-N supporters organised in Jalalpur Jattan city following the victory of a party candidate on Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly seat – LA-38.

A spokesman for Gujrat police says the suspect, Waqas alias Vicky Don, who had allegedly resorted to aerial firing during a motorcycle rally on last Sunday night, had been arrested in connection with the case lodged with the Jalalpur Jattan Saddar police.

He adds that in the light of the information extracted from the arrested suspect, as well as the footage of the motorcycle rally, other suspects have also been identified and police will continue raids to arrest them.

The spokesman says nobody is allowed to resort to aerial firing and taking law into their own hands, adding that police action is not discriminatory to any political party or group.

Earlier, the police had booked at least 45 PML-N supporters, including 10 nominated suspects, under sections 324, 148, 149 and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the report of a police sub-inspector.

PML-N candidate Zeeshan Ali Younis had won from LA-38 constituency by defeating the PML-Q nominee, Akbar Ibrahim, during the poll held on Sunday the last.

Meanwhile, local PML-N leaders have accused the police of lodging the FIR against the party supporters at the behest of some federal and provincial ministers affiliated with the PML-Q.

However, MPA Khalid Asghar Ghural of the PML-Q denied the allegation, saying his party leaders had no role in this regard, claiming that action was taken by the Gujrat police on merit to maintain law and order.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2026