RAWALPINDI: Police have booked Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Saleh Muhammad Khan Swati and his two gunmen, belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, on terrorism charges for allegedly shooting at the police party deployed on security duty outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Mr Swati, who hails from Mansehra, was also charged with attempted murder, violation of Section 144, and abetment. In an FIR registered at the Secretariat police station, SHO Ashfaq Ahmed claimed that Mr Swati along with his gunmen was shouting slogans against the verdict of the ECP announced after 2.15pm and also tried to create a law and order situation, as PTI workers tried to force their way into the ECP.

The FIR stated that the MNA asked his security guards to resort to firing so they obeyed his orders and fired directly at the police party; however, the police officials “narrowly escaped” the gunfire. According to the FIR, the purpose of carrying weapons by the MNA and his accomplices was to harm people and create a law and order situation.

“So the police promptly moved and rounded up the MNA Saleh Muhammad Khan along with his two gunmen who were identified as Tasadaq Hussain Shah and Shahzaib and seized from them two SMGs [sub-machineguns] with 28 rounds”.

Published in Dawn, October 22th, 2022