QUETTA: Former provincial minister of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulvi Ghulam Sarwar Musakhail was arrested on Sunday following allegations of harassment, physical assault and threats against Balochistan Communications Secretary Lal Jan Jafar.

The arrest came after multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) were lodged against the former minister at two separate police stations, officials confirmed.

According to the complaint, Secretary Jafar accused Sarwar of storming into his office at the Civil Secretariat and verbally abusing him during a heated argument over development schemes. “He came to my office and said he had come to settle accounts with me,” Jafar stated. He further alleged that the ex-minister not only harassed him at work but also attempted to target his residence.

The situation escalated, Jafar said, when Sarwar’s supporters began threatening his family. “Threatening messages were written on the door of my house,” he told police, adding that the intimidation tactics had created fear and distress among his family members.

Both Sarwar and Jafar belong to the same district, where local sources described a longstanding political rivalry, particularly over the allocation and execution of development projects, as a possible factor behind the confrontation.

Law enforcement officials said the FIRs include multiple charges, including harassment, criminal intimidation and attempted assault. They added that Sarwar has a record of unruly conduct and had physically attacked government officials on several occasions in the past.

In the FIR registered at Civil Lines Police Station, Jafar said the incident occurred on Saturday at around 2:30pm. “Maulvi Sarwar Musakhail entered my office, asked my private secretary to leave, and demanded a ‘hisab kitab’ related to my family’s political opposition to his camp,” he wrote. Jafar claimed Sarwar shouted threats of serious consequences before leaving the office when staff re-entered the room.

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Later, Jafar alleged, five to six men believed to be Sarwar’s accomplices arrived at his residence, harassed his family, and scrawled threatening messages on the front wall and door of the house.

Police said investigations are underway and further action will be taken in line with the law.