SWABI: The police on Tuesday conducted a raid on the hujra of former MNA Usman Khan Tarakai and former PTI vice-president for Peshawar region Biland Iqbal Tarakai in a bid to prevent them and their supporters from participating in a party’s protest meeting at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk, Mr Iqbal claimed.

Both Mr Usman and Mr Iqbal are uncles of provincial minster for elementary and secondary Shahram Khan Tarakai. Their relations have soared after they ‘clashed’ over the inauguration of a college in Razaar a few weeks ago.

Mr Iqbal termed the raid a coward act carried out on the whims of PTI provincial president Pervez Khattak, former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, and Mr Shahram.

He said the raid was aimed to prevent them and their supporters from participating with black flags in a PTI protest gathering. He said two members of his family were arrested.

In a video message in which Mr Iqbal could be seen wearing a torn shirt, he alleged police also tortured him.

“We wanted to have a peaceful protest, but Mr Khattak, Mr Qaiser and Mr Shahram prevented us,” he said.

Mr Shahram and Mr Qaiser were contacted to know their opinion about the incident, but there was no response.

DSP Topi Iftikhar Ali Khan said they just arrested one member of Tarakai family, who was later freed. He said the police wanted to prevent them from participating in the PTI meeting as it would have resulted into a clash among members of Tarakai family.

The DSP claimed a member of Mr Iqbal’s family opened fire on police.

PROTEST MEETING: Growers held a protest meeting here on Tuesday, demanding the federal government hand over powers of handling the tobacco crop to provincial government under the Constitution.

The meeting was organised by Ittehad Kashtkaran Pakhtunkhwa (IKK).

ANP provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak and MPA Ahmad Karim Kundi also participated.

The participants passed a resolution, saying under the Eighteenth Constitutional Amendment, tobacco should remain exclusive subject of the KP government.

Through another resolution, they demanded that keeping in view the high inflation and depreciation of Pakistani currency, the price of tobacco should be fixed at Rs500 per kilogramme. They also demanded Rs5,000 support price for 50kg bag of wheat.

On the occasion, Mr Babak called for unity among the ranks of people to compel the federal government to give them their rights on electricity and tobacco.

Mr Kundi said the federal government should guarantee rights of people as per the Constitution.

Published in Dawn, November 16th, 2022