Senior PTI leaders booked for 'vandalising' DC office in Karachi

• PTI leaders booked for vandalising Keamari DC office.
• Ali Zaidi, Bilal Ghaffar, Saeed Afridi among others booked.
• Anti-terrorism act, eight other sections included in FIR.

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) senior leadership in the metropolis was nominated in a first information report (FIR) for allegedly vandalising the office of Keamari deputy commissioner (DC) as the recounting of local body polls' votes remains underway.

The PTI Wednesday protested outside the office of the DC, where workers of the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) were also present. Workers of the two political parties resorted to stone-pelting as a result of which two journalists were also injured.

A case was registered against the leaders of PTI in the SITE Area Police Station on behalf of the Peoples Service Centre's manager. The PTI leaders nominated include Ali Zaidi, Bilal Ghaffar, Ataullah, Saeed Afridi, Dawa Khan, and other unidentified men.

"PTI leaders and workers vandalised the office, damaged the vehicles, and took office belongings, including laptops. As a result of firing amid the chaos, three citizens were also injured," the FIR stated.

The FIR includes nine sections — 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting and being armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd), 380 (theft), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 7ATA (committing an act of terrorism).

'Attack'

In response, Zaidi condemned the registration of a case against him and his fellow leaders.

"Attack on us! Our people get injured! Media personnel get injured! And they cut FIR on us! #ZardariMafia at work!," Zaidi wrote on Twitter in a post that also contained the images of the FIR.

Meanwhile, PTI and its leaders also condemned the case and criticised PPP for it.

PTI leader Qasim Durrani said that "cruelty and gangster rule is at its peak in Sindh". He said that an FIR was lodged against those who were attacked.

He further stated that PPP's loss is apparent from their actions but the "people of Pakistan will avenge every [act] of oppression and tyranny in elections soon".