KHAR: Following into the footsteps of their colleagues in Lower Dir, the workers of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf came to blows with each other during a convention of the party in Bajaur tribal district on Sunday.

The convention aimed at nominating new office-bearers for the party was held at the jirga hall in Civil Colony, Khar. Scorers of workers and leaders of the party attended the convention.

The workers of the ruling party had clashed with each other in Lower Dir on Saturday at such an event.

PTI divisional president MPA Fazal Hakim Khan, general secretary MNA Bashir Khan, vice president MNA Gul Dad Khan, MPA Ajmal Khan and MPA Anwarzeb Khan also attended the event.

PTI workers both of Nazriati group and pro-lawmakers addressed the convention and termed it vital for end differences among the workers.

Lawmaker says immature party workers sabotaged event

However, the leaders of Nazriati group alleged that some party leaders including local lawmakers had planned to include only their close relatives in the new cabinet.

They said that it would be a great injustice with senior and committed party workers if only close relatives of lawmakers were included in the cabinet. They said that they would not accept such cabinet.

They said that lawmakers were ignoring sincere and committed workers and giving preference to their relatives, who had no affiliation with PTI before the 2018 general elections.

The clash between workers of both the groups started when a relative of a local lawmaker grabbed the microphone and called the workers of Nazriati group the worst enemy of PTI. He alleged that they had always worked against the party’s policy in the region.

The scuffle among the party workers continued for about two hours and the convention ended without any result.

Later, MPA Anwarzeb Khan said that some ‘immature and irresponsible’ workers sabotaged the event.

TRADER: A trader, kidnapped by unidentified persons, was released after few hours in Bajaur tribal district on Sunday, police said.

They said that Noor Islam, a resident of Haji Lawang area, was kidnapped by unidentified persons in Muslim Bagh locality at about 8am. Following the incident, several police teams were formed to launch hunt for the kidnappers. After about three hours, the abducted trader was found in Wali Bagh locality.

An official said that kidnappers left the trader owing to fear of police action. He said that the kidnappers fled in their vehicle after dropping the abducted trader on road.

He said that the trader was shifted to district headquarters hospital for treatment as kidnappers had beaten him during the custody.

Earlier, scores of residents of nearby areas staged a protest demonstration against the abduction of the trader. The protesters blocked Khar-Peshawar Highway to traffic.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2020