NOWSHERA: An activist of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was killed and two others received injuries when a rival group in the party allegedly attacked them in Nawan Kallay union council of Nowshera Kalan here on Sunday.

Police officials informed Dawn that a group of PTI had arranged a public meeting at Janaz Gah that had to be addressed by Federal Minister Pervez Khattak in connection with the by-election in PK-66 constituency.

They said that a person named Sher Alam, aged 50, was killed and two others identified as Sher Afzal and Khursheed were seriously injured when the rival group opened fire at them while they were busy in preparations for public gathering at the venue.

The said seat had fallen vacant after demise of PTI lawmaker and a former provincial minister Mian Jamshaidud Din Kakakhel in June after he was infected by coronavirus.

Two receive injuries as planned public meeting disrupted

Party sources said that the rival group affiliated with provincial minister Liaquat Khattak, who is the younger brother of Pervez Kahttak, did not want that the said meeting should be held.

They said that the differences between the two brothers, Pervez Khattak and Liaquat Khattak, cropped up as the latter desired that his son Ahad Khattak should contest on the vacant seat whereas the former was supporting Jamshaid’s son Umeruddin Kakakhel to get the party ticket.

The dead body of the deceased and injured persons were rushed to Qazi Medical Complex from where one of the injured, Sher Afzal, was shifted to Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar in critical condition as he received bullet injures in head.

Police registered FIR against six persons including former district councillor Haji Nousher Khan, Ijaz Khan, Bakhtaj, Kifayat, Noor Gul and Shakeel and started investigation.

Complainant in the FIR was one of the injured persons, Khursheed, who stated that he along with his brothers Sher Afzal, Sher Alam and other workers of the party was busy in preparations for the public meeting at the venue when the alleged killers including Nousher, Ijaz and Bakhtaj came there and started exchanging hot words with them.

He alleged that they were stating that they won’t allow them to hold the public gathering and would stop them at any cost. He said that the alleged killers fired at them that resulted in death of his brother Sher Alam and injuries to him and Sher Afzal. He added that several other persons present on the spot were witness to the occurrence.

The relatives of the deceased blocked Nowshera-Mardan Road and staged a protest demonstration. However, police dispersed the protesters peacefully.

Pervez Khattak’s son Ishaq Khattak and MNA Dr Imran Khattak were also present on the occasion.

The protesters were requesting Prime minster Imran Khan and Chief Minister Mahmood Khan to take notice of the issue and order arrest of the culprits immediately as they killed an innocent person.

Pervez Khattak met the family members of the deceased at Qazi Medical Complex and assured them of all possible support. He said that PTI did not believe in violence and termed the incident a conspiracy to bring bad name to PTI.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2020