Three Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) workers were injured in a firing incident targeting the convoy of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar in Kakliyot village, near Muzaffarabad, on Sunday.
The attack occurred during a planned event to welcome members of the Muslim Conference (MC) into the PPP, including the father of a district council member linked to MC candidate Raja Saqib Majeed. Threats against the event had previously been made by Raja Amir Zafar, who opposed the ceremony on social media. Despite warnings to authorities, no preventive measures were taken.
Gunmen opened fire as Akbar’s convoy of 20-25 vehicles approached Kakliyot, injuring Mubashir Hussain, Muhammad Riaz, and Adil Imtiaz. Hussain, shot in the head, underwent surgery and is now stable.
The situation escalated, with firing continuing for hours despite police and officials arriving on the scene. The convoy was stranded for nearly five hours before resuming its journey.
Speaker Akbar condemned the violence, urging calm among PPP supporters, who had staged protests in Muzaffarabad, blocking roads and burning tyres. Upon his return to the city, Akbar reassured supporters, visited the injured at the hospital, and called for peace.
The attack drew widespread condemnation from political leaders, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood, and former President Asif Ali Zardari, all demanding swift action against the perpetrators.
