In a significant development, a case has been registered against two lawyer brothers and four others under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and other charges following an attack on the office of Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco). The incident occurred after a Fesco team raided a location, discovered electricity theft, and disconnected the power supply.
The accused individuals have rejected the claims made by Fesco officials and have called for an impartial inquiry. However, the FIR has been registered by Saddar Police Station (Kamalia) under various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) including ATA Section 7, 353, 186, 440, 506, 148, and 149.
According to the FIR, the attackers, including Khalid Imran, Abid Imran, Mudassir Alam, and three unidentified individuals, invaded the Fesco office armed with guns. They ransacked the office, attacking doors, windows, and furniture. They also verbally abused the staff, tore official files, and threatened and harassed the officers and employees before fleeing the scene.
The FIR reveals that the Fesco team had discovered electricity theft at the property of one of the accused, Mudassair Alam Bhagila, and his uncle Mazhar Iqbal, the day before the incident occurred. The team removed the meters from their premises, which allegedly provoked the attack on the Fesco office.
Meanwhile, the accused lawyers and their accomplice, Mudassar, have been granted bail before arrest until October 4th in a case registered under ATA Section 7 by Kamalia City Police. As a response, the Kamalia Bar Association observed a strike, warning Fesco officials to withdraw the FIR or face restrictions on entry into the bar premises.
In a separate incident, a spokesperson for Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) claimed that lawyers involved in various cases have also threatened Lesco teams and physically assaulted them. While Lesco has not yet registered any FIRs against lawyers or others under ATA Section 7, they state that lawyers have mistreated them in different cases. They cited occasions where lawyers released a power thief from police custody in Okara and where a Lesco executive was attacked by lawyers in Shalimar Division, Lahore.
The spokesperson added that lawyers in Nankana Sahib and Samanabad also obstructed Lesco teams during operations related to power theft. Similarly, a team faced resistance while apprehending members of the Samanabad Car Dealer Association for power theft. Tariq Saeed in Toba Tek Singh also contributed to this report.