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Sunday, November 03, 2024  
01 Jumada Al-Awwal 1446  

PTI's Qasim Suri latest victim of violence over political differences

Police reviewing CCTV footage to identify those involved in attacking former deputy speaker during sehri at Islamabad restaurant
File photo
File photo

Former National Assembly deputy speaker and PTI leader Qasim Suri has registered a case at the Kohsar Police Station against unidentified men who assaulted him while he eating at a restaurant in the capital's Kohsar market area on Thursday night.

In a video, shared widely on social media and also uploaded on PTI's official Twitter account, men chanting "PTI murdabad" (death to PTI) can be seen approaching the table on which Qasim Suri was sitting along with Senator Ejaz Chaudhry.

Ejaz can be seen getting pushed as he gets up upon seeing the menacing group chanting slogans, following which others go after Suri.

According to Suri, the men were guards of Federal Minister for Narcotics Control Shahzain Bugti, and they had attacked him as a response to Thursday's incident at the Masjid-e-Nabwi.

In Thursday's incident, PM Shehbaz and his entourage, including Bugti, were heckled and assaulted with chants of "chor chor" (thieves) by Pakistani pilgrims. In one video, a man could be seen grabbing Bugti's hair from behind as the federal minister was being whisked away by Saudi security.

According to Suri, the attackers wanted to kill him. However, he was unhurt in the attack while his friend received a minor injury. Both were treated at a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, Islamabad police has started collecting evidence with the help of CCTV footage. Police said that those involved in the attack would be arrested soon.

"Public reaction"

Meanwhile, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry called the unfortunate incident in Madina a "public reaction" in a press conference on Friday.

Fawad also reiterated Suri's accusation of Bugti's guards being responsible for the attack, while dismissing PML-N leadership's claim that the Masjid-e-Nabwi attack was orchestrated at the behest of the ousted PTI.

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, the PTI leader said that those people involved in the Masjid Nabavi incident were not PTI workers.

Terming last night's attack on Qasim Suri a terror attack, Fawad said that the culprits should be charged under anti-terrorism laws.

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