PESHAWAR, Aug 8: An anti-terrorism court here has indicted 17 activists of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F in a case of storming and ransacking courts in Charsadda district during an electoral dispute over recounting of votes.

The accused-persons pleaded not guilty to the charge and decided to stand trial following which the court presided owner by Anwer Hussain Khan summoned 13 prosecution witnesses for Aug 13, the next date of hearing.

The prime accused in the case, Mufti Gohar Ali Shah, who was contesting candidate of JUI-F during the May 11 general elections, has been absconding and the local police have been searching for him.

The arrested accused persons include Sher Rehman, Abdur Rauf, Inamullah, Liaqat Khan, Qari Aslam and others.

Mufti Gohar Ali Shah had lost to a candidate of Qaumi Watan Party, Khalid Khan, on provincial assembly constituency of PK-20 Charsadda with a margin of 1,169 votes and he had alleged rigging in the polls.

He had submitted an application to the concern returning officer for recounting of votes and on the day of recounting, he and his supporters staged a demonstration and later on stormed the tehsil courts at Tanghi.

The accused persons had allegedly ransacked courtrooms and pelted stones of the building. An FIR was registered against them at Tanghi police station under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and sections of Pakistan Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa drug court, Mohammad Habib Qureshi, has dismissed bail petition of a suspect charged with smuggling of counterfeit veterinary drugs.

The court ruled that keeping in view the evidence on record the suspect, Johar Shah, did not deserve to be set free on bail.

According to prosecution a drug inspector had raided premises of Mohmand Goods Transport Company at Haji Camp Peshawar on Aug 1. The raiding inspector had recovered 6,859 veterinary injections which were meant for smuggling to Afghanistan.

The said injections were found to be counterfeit. The supplier of the said consignment, Johar Shah, was arrested and was booked under the Drug Act.