MMA Workers Riot Against Women Racers
A clash between Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) workers and police injured about 25 people including MMA MNA Qazi Hameedullah and several police personnel after MMA workers attacked a mini-marathon organised by the Gujranwala administration on Sunday morning.
The clash happened after about 900 MMA workers attacked the participants of the race in protest against women running with men. The workers were armed with weapons, batons and Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs), a Punjab government release said.
The MMA workers also tried to kill Gujranwala district police officer (DPO) by lobbing a Molotov cocktail at him, the release said, adding that he escaped while his bodyguard was injured and taken to hospital.
Parliament Member and Cleric, Qazi Hameedullah, is hurt in the conflict:
Police also tried to protect the participants and used teargas on the MMA workers. The mob also set 11 cars including those of MPA Ashraf Butt, EDO Community Development Khwaja Farooq Haider, Punjab Parliamentary Secretary Zil-e-Huma Usman, Punjab Minorities Minister Louis Julius and Gujranwala DCO Fazeel Asghar, and seven motorbikes on fire. Police opened fire at the attackers, injuring several of them including Qazi Hameedullah and his son, Kifayatullah. Police claimed that the MMA workers had shot at them first, injuring two assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) and 10 constables and police retaliated.