SWABI/SHANGLA: About 103 leaders and workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf arrested during a crackdown over violation of section 144 were released on bail here on Thursday.

The PTI leaders and workers were arrested for protesting against the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan.

On Thursday, they were brought to the court of judicial migistrate Swabi-1, Mohammad Khalil Khan and he released them on bail. Fida Hussain, PTI’s former district general secretary, was among the released leaders.

It has been learnt that former MPA Aqibullah Khan, who is Asad Qaiser’s brother, ex-MPA Rangaiz Khan and Tehsil Swabi mayor Attaullah Khan also secured their bail before arrest from a local court on Thursday.

The released workers and leaders said that staging protest demonstration was their constitutional right and added that they would stage such demonstrations in future also.In Shangla, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf tehsil Puran chairman and over a dozen other activists were released from jail on Thursday after different courts in Shangla, Alpuri and Chakesar granted them bail.

The PTI workers were arrested by the local police in Aloch Puran and Bisham on Aug 5 for protesting against the arrest of former premier Imran Khan.Earlier, Jawad Ali Noor advocate of Insaf Lawyer Forum submitted the bail applications in respective courts for bail of the PTI workers.

Jawad Ali Noor told that the district and sessions judge in Alpuri accepted the bail plea for the release of PTI’s tehsil Puran chairman Abdul Maula and six other workers arrested in Aloch Puran.

He said the additional sessions judge, Chakesar, also accepted the bail plea of nine PTI workers arrested in Bisham on the night of Aug 5.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2023