PML-N Senator Afnan Ullah Khan has registered a first information report (FIR) against former prime minister Imran Khan’s lawyer Sher Afzal Khan Marwat on charges of assaulting him on a live media show, it emerged on Saturday.
Afnan and Marwat had engaged in a brawl on Wednesday after a heated argument on Express News show ‘Kal Tak with Javed Chaudhry’. The viral clip of the fight doing the rounds on social media showed Afnan and Marwat shouting at each other before the latter got up and hit the PML-N senator.
In the next few seconds, the senator could be seen pushing Marwat away from him before they both disappeared from the camera’s angle. However, the anchor could be heard telling others at his studio to stop Afnan and Marwat from hitting each other and break up the fight.
The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, was registered at the Aabpara police station on Friday under Sections 352 (punishment for criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation) and 506ii (criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The FIR said the senator was invited to the TV show, along with the PTI lawyer, to discuss the current political situation. “During the heated debate, Sher Afzal Marwat suddenly attacked me and tried to hit me and also threatened that I will face the consequences and he will not spare me and gave life threats,” the FIR said.
It added that Marwat had admitted to “the fact that he attacked me” in a tweet. The senator said it was thus necessary to register a case against the lawyer and requested action against Marwat.
Talking to Dawn.com, Afnan vowed to “fully pursue” the matter. “If we allow physical assaults on each other in TV talk shows then imagine what the future will be like,” the senator said.
Marwat says will file own FIR
Meanwhile, Marwat told Dawn.com that he will apply for pre-arrest bail at the relevant court in the FIR registered against him.
Marwat said he also submitted a request to register an FIR against the senator at the Margalla police station under Sections 25D of the Telegraph Act and PPC 506.
He added that he would refer to the courts if the report was not lodged by Sunday.
“First Afnan said he had hit me … but in the FIR it was stated that he was hit and he fainted,” Marwat added, saying that there were contradictory messages from the senator.
He also alleged that Afnan made the request on the official Senate letterhead. “He tried to influence the case. He sent the Senate director to the police station.”
Marwat accused the PML-N leader of abusing his office which was “unbecoming of any parliamentarian”.
“I will refer to the Election Commission of Pakistan and constitutional courts pertaining to his disqualification according to Article 62,” he concluded.
However, the senator rejected the allegation when talking to Dawn.com, saying that he had submitted an ordinary application for an FIR instead of through the Senate letterhead.
Later, Marwat posted on X that he had “left Islamabad to avoid arrest”.
