By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: The brother of ruling Pakistan Peoples’ Party’s provincial minister was booked under anti-terrorism laws along with other suspects for allegedly assaulting and confining a ‘government employee’ during a dispute over cable laying in Karachi, according to a police report.
Farhan Ghani, chairman of Chanesar Town and brother of Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, faces charges including attempted murder, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation after the incident on August 22, the first information report (FIR) stated.
The complainant Hafiz Sohail Ahmed Jadoon, a government employee supervising the laying of fibre optic cable near a petrol pump on Sharea Faisal, said around 20-25 persons arrived in three vehicles. “They stopped their cars near him (the complainant) and called him over, saying that ‘sahib (Farhan Ghani) was asking “With whose permission are you digging the land?”‘” the FIR read.
The employee replied that he was performing official duties with a no-objection certificate from government institutions. “Some of them (suspects) misbehaved with him and asked him to stop the work immediately,” according to the document. “When the complainant said this work was being done with the permission of all institutions, they started using abusive language and beating him.”
The suspects allegedly demanded to know “why he was not stopping the work on the directions of ‘the sahib'”. Four or five armed men then aimed pistols at the complainant before dragging him to a room at the petrol pump, where they held him in illegal confinement and continued the assault, the FIR alleged. Police arrived, rescued the employee and took him to Ferozabad police station, where he lodged the complaint. The FIR was registered against Farhan Ghani and four other suspects under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Saeed Ghani addressed the case on social media platform X, saying his brother and “associates” had a “dispute” with someone who filed an FIR as per their “legal right”. “Farhan Ghani, along with all the individuals, will surrender themselves to the authorities and face the law, proving their innocence in court,” he wrote.
In a video statement posted to X later on Sunday, the minister said Farhan had turned himself in willingly, noting the act was “unlawful and warranted an FIR”. “This is an arrest and purely a legal issue. God willing, we will resolve it by legal means,” Ghani said. “This is not an issue for the party workers to take to heart. We will resolve this matter soon through legal means.”
Farhan Ghani and the other accused were presented before a special magistrate. The investigating officer informed the court they faced serious allegations, including terrorism and assault on a government employee. The officer sought a one-day transit remand to present them before the administrative anti-terrorism court on Monday. The magistrate approved the request and handed the accused, including Farhan Ghani, over to police custody on a one-day transit remand.
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