SHAHID RAO & ISRAR AHMED
RAWALPINDI – President Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmad escaped an attempt on life while his three bodyguards were killed when four assailants carrying sophisticated weapons attacked his election office here on Monday.
Former minister and a candidate for NA-55 by-election Sheikh Rashid received minor injuries on his leg when he fell down at the time of the attack. Two other political workers also sustained injuries in this deadly incident.
Some eyewitnesses informed TheNation that four armed assailants attacked Sheikh Rashid when he was leaving his election office situated in Khayban-e-Sir Syed to attend a public meeting. The deceased were identified as Sheikh Anwar alias Anwari, Irshad alias Shada and Javed, while the injured included Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Abbas and Muhammad Hassan. The windowpanes of the Land Cruiser of Sh Rashid were also broken in the attack. The bodies of the deceased and the injured were shifted to DHQ and Holy Family Hospitals for autopsy and medical treatment.
Acting MS DHQ Ijaz Suhail, while talking to TheNation, told that they had received two dead bodies while Sheikh Rashid Ahmed sustained minor injuries on his leg. When asked whether or not these were bullet injuries, the MS replied Sheikh fell down at the time of firing and got injuries on his leg. “However, his condition is stable now,” he added.
After the incident, a heavy contingent of police cordoned off Lal Haveli, residence of Rashid, to avoid any untoward incident. Police also established pickets at all the entry and exit points of the city to arrest the attackers.
The news of gruesome attack on Sh Rashid spread like jungle fire as hundreds of enraged workers of AML (male, female and even children) without caring the torrential rain rushed towards the District Headquarter Hospitals (DHQ) and gathered outside Emergency Department. They condemned the attack.
They held PML-N candidate for NA-55 by-poll, Malik Shakil Awan, and PML-N leadership responsible for the bloodiest attack on Sh Rashid.
The enraged workers of AML also chanted slogans in favour of Rashid and against PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and PML-N MNA Muhammad Hanif Abbasi.
The most echoed slogan chanted by AML workers was simple: “Sheikh your devotees are countless.” There was a chaotic situation outside and within Emergency Department of DHQ as scores of AML workers were trying to enter the room where Sh Rashid was admitted.
However, Nazim Rawal Town, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, and former MPA Raja Rashid Hafeez requested the furious AML workers to calm down as their leader was out of danger. They also conveyed a message of Rashid to the workers to stay cool and not damage public property.
Meanwhile, PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, former provincial law minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, Muhammad Nasir Raja, PTI Chief Media Advisor Syed Zahid Hussain Kazmi, PTI candidate for NA-55 by-poll Ijaz Khan Jazi, PPP city President Malik Aamer Fida Pracha and former District Naib Nazim Muhammad Afzal Khokhar also visited the hospital and inquired about the health of Sheikh Rashid.
While talking to media persons, Raja Basharat vehemently condemned the gruesome attack on former federal minister and also leashed out Punjab government for not providing adequate security to the AML President. He said all the circumstances were in favour of Rashid as people of Rawalpindi were full supporting him. He alleged that after infamy defeat of N-league candidate in NA-21, Mansehra, the PML-N leadership had realised that its candidate would also fail in NA-55, therefore they engineered an attack on most favourite Rashid to vanish him from political scene.
Media Advisor to PTI Chief Syed Zahid Hussain Kazmi also denounced the sorrowful incident saying, “Punjab government, despite several request, has failed to provide security to the candidates of by-poll.” He said that provincial government only provided police escort to its candidate Malik Shakil Awan and it was condemnable. He informed that PTI Chairman Imran Khan had postponed the inauguration of an election office of Ijaz Khan Jazi due to the gory incident, which was to be done that day (Monday).
The infuriated workers of AML also took out a protest rally at Fawara Chowk and blocked the road by burning tyres. They chanted slogans against Punjab government. All the business activities in Raja Bazaar and its adjoining Bazaars were suspended.
An FIR has been lodged with Police Station Pirwadhai. The sources informed that SHO of the police station concerned went District Headquarter Hospital and took application from Sh Rashid, besides recording his statement. The FIR was registered under sections 302, 324 and 7-Anti Terrorism Act (2005) and 34.