MARDAN: The city police here on Wednesday registered FIR against seven organisers of a Pakistan Democratic Movement rally on Dec 23 in violation of the Covid-19-induced SOPs.

The FIR was registered on the complaint of SHO city police station Mukaddam Khan under four different sections against ANP district president Latif-ur-Rehman and Javed Yousafzai, PPP leader and former deputy speaker Ikramullah Shahid, JUI-F former MPAs Maulana Amanat Shah Haqqani and Maulana Tajul Amin Jabal, QWP district chairman Mujibur Rehman and PML-N leader Haji Khan Akbar Khan.

As per the FIR, the PDM leaders violated the coronavirus SOPs, the loudspeaker act, blocked roads and held a public meeting without seeking permission from the district administration. However, none of the booked PDM organisers has been arrested.

The PDM had held a public meeting on the main Mardan-Nowshera Road.

Meanwhile, the police claimed to have arrested two members of an inter-provincial car-lifters gang and recovered scores of vehicles, including cars and bikes, from their possession.

District police officer Dr Zahidullah on Wednesday told reporters that officials of the anti-car lifting cell seized the vehicles after the identification of arrested accused namely Abdur Rehman and Hazrat Ali.

He said 65 cars and 25 bikes were recovered, of which 50 cars belonged to Punjab, four to Islamabad, one to Sindh, while 10 cars were tempered.

He said 41 cars were handed over to their owners after completion of legal procedure. He said the auto thieves hailed from Swabi.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2020