MPA among six injured as JI, PPP activists clash in Lower Dir

Inauguration of uplift schemes

TIMERGARA: Four activists of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), including Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) from PK-93 Sahibzada Sanaullah and two from the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) sustained injuries during a scuffle between the workers over the issue of inaugurating uplift scheme in Luqman Banda Khaal here on Monday.

Eyewitnesses and local residents told The News that tension between workers of JI and PPP intensified after the PPP leader MPA Sahibzada Sanaullah allegedly uprooted the plaques installed after provincial Finance Minister Muzaffar Said, MPA Aizazul Mulk Afkari, chairman District Development Advisory Committee (DDAC) MPA Saeed Gul and former MPA Malik Bahram Khan inaugurated many uplift schemes in Luqman Banda near Khaal.

Sources said dozens of the PPP activists led by MPA Sanaullah blocked the road at Japani Pul for Finance Minister Muzaffar Said, who was coming to Timergara from Luqman Banda.Hundreds of JI activists reached the spot and workers of both parties started pelting stones at each other and used sticks in the scuffle.

Some of the activists also resorted to aerial firing. The Khaal police rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. The PPP workers alleged that the JI activists beat up the PPP MPA.  

The Khaal police called leaders of both the parties to the police station and local elders were busy settling the issue peacefully.  A police official said that cases against leaders of both the parties had been registered.

Later, the JI lawmakers Aizazul Mulk Afkari, former MPA Malik Bahram, Akhunzada Sikandar Hazrat and others told news conference at Khaal and alleged that the PPP lawmaker Sanaullah had taken law into his own hands.

They termed the act as undemocratic and asked the Lower Dir administration to arrest him for taking the law into his hands. “MPA Sanaullah should have raised the issue in the assembly or moved the court of law if he had any grievances,” Aizazul Mulk said, adding that the finance minister was our guest and he had the right to inaugurate development projects.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters, Sahibzada Sanaullah said that Luqman Banda situated in his constituency and he had the right to inaugurate the uplift schemes. He said the JI had nothing to do with these developmental projects.