LAHORE: Gunmen on Friday attacked the convoy of Jhang Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Sheikh Fawad Akram — the brother of PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram — leaving one of his guards dead and three others injured near Jhang’s General Bus Stand (GBS), said police.
Reports said the incident took place near a petrol pump near GBS, as Fawad was headed to his office.
The four security guards who were injured in the attack were rushed to DHQ Hospital. However, hospital authorities referred a critically injured guard to Faisalabad, but he succumbed to his injuries.
Jhang police, meanwhile, arrested four suspects, including two alleged gunmen and Fawad’s stepbrother, a statement from a police spokesperson read.
Police said that Fawad and his stepbrother were travelling in separate convoys when their vehicles collided with each other. The collision triggered a scuffle between guards from both groups.
The gunmen of another suspect, who was travelling with the stepbrother, allegedly opened fire on Fawad’s group, shooting four of his guards, the statement added.
Quoting Jhang District Police Officer Bilal Iftikhar Kayani, the statement read that strict action is being taken against the suspects and that “no concession would be made to those who challenge the law”.
“Turning a minor dispute into violence and firing is a threat to the peace of the society,” DPO Kayani was quoted as saying.
Recounting the incident on camera, Fawad said that he and his guards were unarmed at the time, as they were not allowed to carry weapons.
Meanwhile, Waqas issued a statement on his X account condemning the incident as a “cowardly and planned attack”.
“It is extremely alarming that a peaceful city, which had become a cradle of peace due to our collective efforts over the past several years, is today being dragged back into unrest due to a few miscreants and rogue elements,” Waqas wrote.
“I make an unequivocal demand from the Punjab Police that all suspects involved in the incident be arrested immediately, transparent and impartial investigations be ensured, and those responsible be given exemplary punishment in accordance with the law,” he added.
In a later statement, Waqas said that the deceased guard’s family blocked Gujranwala Road and placed his body in front of Jhang Civil Hospital.
“We stand with his family and will fully support him,” the PTI information secretary wrote. “We will never leave them alone—we will ensure Mohsin’s family gets justice and will knock on every door of justice.”
Reports said that over the past six months, Fawad’s stepbrother had joined hands with the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) to contest elections against Waqas and his father, provincial lawmaker Sheikh Muhammad Akram.
The GDA had also recently announced they would contest all future elections against the Sheikh family.
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