SWABI: A leader of the Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement said on Saturday that nine of the 19 PTM leaders nominated in a case had been granted bail before arrest, as the rest had been declared proclaimed offenders.

Talking to Dawn, Liaqat Yousafzai said PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen was among those who had been declared proclaimed offenders (PO).

The PTM leaders have been booked for multiple offences after a party’s public meeting held in Swabi on Aug 13.

The case (FIR No 695) was registered at the Swabi police station on Aug 13 under Sections 123-B (defiling or unauthorisedly removing the National Flag of Pakistan from Government building, etc), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 147 (punishment for rioting), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

A recent letter issued by the SP-investigations stated that Mr Pashteen, Dr Said Alam Masood, Advocate Fazal, Khan Zaman (residents of North Waziristan) as well as Muhsin Dawood, Ali Wazir, Samad Khan, Noor ul Islam (residents of South Waziristan) were declared as POs and were required to be arrested.

Mr Yousafzai, the PTM leader, said Dr Mushtaq, Faiz Muhammad, Khairul Amin, Abidullah, Mohammad Ali Dagiwal, Dr Muhammad Jasim, Riaz Ahmad, and retired Col Hidayatullah got bail. He said a sessions court had set the next date for hearing of the case on Sept 18.

The district administration had told PTM leaders to organise the Aug 13 gathering in Shahmansoor Cricket Stadium and not in Swabi high school playground where the event was held.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018