Kohat police have arrested the lighting contractor who managed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally in Kohat on Tuesday, allegedly at the behest of MNA Shehyrar Afridi who was publicly admonished by party chairman Imran Khan for ‘poor lighting’.
According to media reports, Sheikh Anwaar has been in police custody since last night, and is currently being held in the Jangal Khel police station.
During the PTI rally last night, Khan addressed the crowd and thanked them for coming. He then expressed disappointment over half the stadium not being visible due to poor lighting, saying “Shehryar Afridi hasn’t managed the lighting properly.”
He went on to address Shehryar Afridi and told him that next time, get the lighting done from some other organization. He then thanked Afridi and Ziaullah Bangash for organising the rally.
Subsequently, Shehryar Afridi complained to the Kohat police, who then arrested the lighting contractor Sheikh Anwaar.
Anwaar and Afridi had agreed on a deal of 6.5 million rupees for the lighting, out of which Rs 3.0 million had been paid to the contractor, with Rs 3.5 million remaining.
Anwaar has said that Shehyrar Afridi still owes him 3.5 million rupees, and claims that the lighting for the occasion was appropriately provided by his company, however, due to a storm that took place the night before the rally, a couple of electric poles had fallen down, affecting the lighting.
Reports suggest that no FIR has been filed against Sheikh Anwaar, nor has he been told why he was taken into custody.
