rawalpindi         -            An armed clash took place allegedly between men of a legislator of ruling party and a local landlord over property dispute on Saturday at Peshawar Road spreading a wave of terror among the citizens in heavily guarded Cantt and garrison city.

The incident took place within limits of Police Station Westridge, they said.

A heavy contingent of police, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Cantt Circle Kamran, rushed to the area and controlled law and order situation by cordoning off the area.  The police investigators also seized dead bullet shells in a large number from crime scene.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) legislator along with his brothers and men and the landlord were to be booked on charges of spreading terror by resorting to aerial firing over property dispute at Peshawar Road, according to Superintendent of Police (SP) Potohar Division. A landlord namely Malik Naseer Ahmed lodged a complaint with PS Westridge and stated he owned a property at Peshawar Road.

He added that he rented out a shop to a vegetable seller which was locked forcefully by a gang of land grabbers.

He said he went to his shop on complaint of shopkeeper to open the shutter when five men opened indiscriminate firing at him from the rooftop of a building. He added the attackers managed to escape from the scene after he alerted Rescue 15. He also told police that he had a property ownership dispute with his brother Malik Shabbir Ahmed. The applicant also alleged that PTI MPA/Chairman Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Umer Tanvir Butt along with his two brothers Umair Butt and Jahangir Butt are hand in glove with attackers and had also grabbed his property illegally.

Malik Naseer sought legal action against PTI MPA, his brothers and other attackers. Police accepted the application and started inquiry into allegations.

SP Potohar Division Syed Ali, however, when contacted, confirmed the occurrence of firing incident in heavily guarded Cantt and garrison city.  He said PTI MPA along with his men and the applicant are equally involved in taking law into hands and police would register cases against both parties.

 He said the both groups picked guns against each other and resorted aerial firing and terrorised the locals.

“ASP Cantt along with heavy contingent of police inspected crime scene and collected scores of bullet shells fired by both parties,” he said. MPA Umer Tanvir Butt, during a chat with The Nation, rebuffed the allegations levelled against him by the local landlord. He said there was a property dispute between two brothers Malik Naseer and Malik Shabbir and he once held a Jirga to sort it out.

“The problem is that Malik Shabbir is my old friend that is why Naseer assuming I am taking side of my friend,” he said.

He said no MPA would go anywhere along with armed men and to grab land by resorting to firing.  “CPO Muhammad Ahsan Younis contacted me and I clearly told him to book all the accused found involved in the firing incident regardless of their status or political affiliation,” he added.