SWABI: Nine members of the Pakhtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) were arrested on Friday after their pleas for pre-arrest bail were turned down by a local court in a case registered against them for multiple offences, including raising slogans against judiciary and security forces.

According to a PTM member, those arrested are Dr Mushtaq, Liaqat Yousafzai, Dr Jasim, Muhammad Ali, Abid Ali, retired Colonel Hidayatullah Khan, Khairul Amin, Riaz Khan and Faiz Muhammad.

The FIR against them was registered at the Swabi city police station on Aug 13. Police officials said the PTM was allowed to hold a public meeting at Shahmansoor Cricket Stadium, but it arranged the gathering at a high school’s playground.

PTM leaders Manzoor Pashteen and MNAs Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir were also nominated in the FIR, but they have not been arrested.

Following the registration of the case, the nine PTM members had filed pre-arrest bail petitions in the court of an additional district and sessions judge. They were granted interim pre-arrest bail but the same was not confirmed by the court on Friday.

The arrested member, Dr Mushtaq, has already challenged the FIR before the Peshawar High Court, requesting it to quash the case as it was what he called concocted.

A bench of the high court would hear the petition on Oct 25.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018