Brother’s kidnapping: Ali Musa points fingers at PTI, PML-N stalwarts

The Express Tribune

A day after his brother’s abduction, former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Musa Gilani hinted that their political rivals, Shah Mehmood Qureshi of PTI and Sikandar Bosan of PML-N, might be behind Ali Haider Gilani’s kidnapping. Talking to reporters late Thursday night, he said that since the Gilani family offered stiff competition to Qureshi and Bosan in key constituencies they might be behind the incident. However, in the same breath he added that unless the law enforcement agencies completed their inquiry nothing could be ascertained. “It’s a planned conspiracy to keep the Gilanis away from elections since all members of the family are mourning and no one is really paying attention to the elections,” he said. He added that the incident displayed the biasness of the election commission who were organising the elections in the absence of a candidate from one of the major political parties in the country. “Everybody knows that he had been publicly attacked and kidnapped but the election commission does not want to face up to the reality,” he said. He complained that the ECP had overlooked the security threats to the PPP. “If the election commission is not biased, it should explain why polls are still being conducted in the constituency,” he questioned. Despite his brawl with the electoral body, Ali Musa vowed to contest the elections. “My victory like my previous one will be a message for all those trying to derail democracy,” he added. In stark contrast to his son’s claims, Yousaf Raza Gilani holding a separate conference stated “even if heads of all political party leaders are cut, these elections should not be delayed”. Talking to the media at his residence, the senior PPP leader said that the Chief of Army Staff had assured him of his full support and promised the earliest possible recovery of Ali Haider Gilani. Offering sympathies to the family Pakistan-Tehreek-Insaaf president Javed Hashmi said that Moosa Ali Gilani and Abdul Qadir Gilani ‘are right in demanding a delay in elections in their constituencies’. Visiting the family late Thursday night the former PML-N leader said that the emotions of both the brothers should be respected. While condemning the incident he blamed the caretaker Punjab government for its negligence, saying that the administration was treating the threat to the Gilani family like a routine matter. “The incident demands special attention from the provincial government and their law enforcement agencies,” he said. Investigations In a bid to recover Ali Haider Gilani raids were conducted across South Punjab. Special intelligence teams from Lahore and Islamabad also arrived in Multan and inspected the incident site. Initial investigations suggest that Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, who posed great threat to the family, might be behind the kidnapping. Sharing information on the matter an intelligence official stated that members of the group, headed by Rizwan aka Asif Choto, reached Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur two days prior to the incident. The Shia community and the prominent leaders of the area are cited to be the targets of the banned outfit. People present in both the corner meetings with Ali Haider Gilani, right before his abduction, have been interrogated. Some 13 members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have also been arrested from different places in South Punjab. They have been shifted to undisclosed locations in Multan for questioning. Sources privy to the matter revealed that law enforcement authorities are expecting a major breakthrough in the case and have identified parts of the kidnapping plan. Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered in Seetal Maari police station on the application of Muhammad Nazar, brother of Ghulam Mohiuddin, secretary of kidnapped son of Yousuf Raza Gilani. The FIR has been registered under sections 302, 324, 148, 149, 365 and 7ATA against 8 unidentified assailants.