KARACHI: Police in Karachi have arrested Farhan Ghani, a local Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and chairman of Chanesar Town, after registering a case against him over an alleged armed assault on a government employee. Ghani, who is the brother of Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, surrendered to authorities late Saturday night along with four of his aides.
The case, filed at Ferozabad Police Station, names Farhan and five associates under charges of attempted murder, terrorism, and other criminal offenses. The FIR was lodged by Hafiz Sohail, a government employee overseeing fibre-optic cable installation on a service road off Shahrah-e-Faisal on August 22.
The Complaint: “They Tried to Kill Me”
In his statement to police, Sohail claimed that a group of 20–25 men, led by Farhan Ghani, arrived at the worksite in three vehicles. They allegedly confronted him, questioning whether he had the necessary permits to dig the road. Sohail said he showed them official no-objection certificates (NOCs) and approvals but was still beaten and threatened at gunpoint.
According to the FIR, the group dragged Sohail to a nearby petrol station office, where he was further assaulted. A police patrol arrived soon after, rescuing him and taking him to the police station.
Political Fallout
The arrest is politically sensitive, given Farhan’s ties to the Sindh cabinet. However, Minister Saeed Ghani distanced himself from the incident, saying his brother would face the charges in court.
“An FIR has been registered, and Farhan has turned himself in,” the minister said in a statement early Sunday. “He and his associates will contest the allegations legally and prove their innocence in court.”
The altercation highlights growing tensions in Karachi over infrastructure and utility works, which often lead to disputes between local authorities, contractors, and political figures.