Ali Zaidi among 17 PTI leaders booked in terror case for vandalising Keamari DC's office

Amid an ongoing political blame game in Sindh over local body election results, Karachi Police on Thursday booked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) senior leader Ali Zaidi along with 16 others for allegedly vandalising the office of Keamari deputy commissioner (DC).

As recounting of votes still continues in the port city following Sunday’s local government elections across Sindh, clashes in multiple areas across Karachi erupted among political parties on Wednesday night.

The PTI protested outside the office of the DC, where workers of the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) were also present. Workers of the two political groups 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 along with Ali Zaidi include Bilal Ghaffar, Ataullah, Saeed Afridi, Dawa Khan and other unidentified workers.

"PTI leaders and workers vandalised the office, damaged the vehicles, and took office belongings including laptops with them. As a result of firing amid the chaos, three citizens were also injured," the first information report (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 on us'

Reacting to the development, 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.

Condemnations pour in

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

Meanwhile, 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".