LOWER DIR/MARDAN: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s former provincial minister Shakil Khan was re-arrested soon after his release from the Timergara district jail here on Monday in a case registered against him by the anti-corruption establishment.

The former minister along with dozens of PTI workers and local leaders was taken into custody for blocking roads and damaging public properties during violent protests on May 13. He was kept at the Timergara jail.

The Anti-Terrorism Court, Chakdara, had accepted his bail plea, but he was again arrested as he came out of the jail.

Also on Monday, the ATC granted bail to over 130 PTI workers, including divisional organiser of Insaf Lawyers’ Forum Imtiaz Khan. They were lodged in Timergara jail.

Separately, the ATC Malakand granted bail-before-arrest to 63 PTI workers. They included among others former MNA Junaid Akbar, former MPA Humayun Khan, Adenzai tehsil chairman Firoz Shah, Batkhela tehsil chairman Nasir Hussain, Thana Malakand tehsil chairman Afzal Khan, deputy convener Insaf Students’ Federation, Malakand and Rizwanullah Badwani.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Terrorism Court, Mardan, on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to eight PTI activists in a case registered against them by the city police station on May 9 for indulging in violent protests.

A PTI legal team led by Riaz Khan Paindakhel Advocate had submitted an application in the ATC seeking interim pre-arrest bail for the party workers booked in the FIR.

The ATC granted bail to eight PTI activists till June 15.

Those who got bail included Jehanzeb Khan, Muzammil Khan, Ashfaq Ahmad, Khanzeb, Wisal, Mirza Ali Khan, Adam Khan and Gohar Husssain.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2023