BAJAUR: The local police on Sunday lodged an FIR against five Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf workers, including Nawagai tehsil council chairman Dr Khalilur Rehman, for arranging a rally in Mamond tehsil on Saturday in violation of the Section 144.

The FIR was registered with the Mamond police station on the compliant of its SHO.

The FIR stated that PTI workers Dr Rehman, Pervaiz, Sayed Arif, Arshad and Darvish arranged a rally attended by up to 40 workers despite the Section 144 imposed by the district administration, banning rallies and gatherings across the district to prevent any unpleasant incident.

The FIR stated that the PTI workers used impolite language against the incumbent government at the rally.

An official at the Mamond police station confirmed the registration of FIR against the PTI local leaders. However, he said none of the booked party workers had so far been arrested.

Meanwhile, the PTI local chapter condemned the lodging of FIR against the political activists.

In a statement posted on social media, Dr Hamidur Rehman, PTI’s deputy general secretary for Bajaur, said registration of FIR against party workers was unlawful as every political party was organising such events in the district.

However, he said such ‘baseless’ acts would not prevent his party from arranging peaceful events in the district.

He said the party would challenge the act in a court soon.

Meanwhile, Dr Khalilur Rehman, in a statement, said such ‘illegal’ acts would not stop him and his colleagues from carrying out peaceful political activities in the district.

It is to mention here that Dr Rehman had spent six days in prison in a similar case last month.

SHOT DEAD: A man was gunned down by unknown assailants in a bazaar in Mamond tehsil on Sunday.

Residents and Rescue 1122 officials said the incident occurred in the Laghari Bazaar.

They told Dawn that Niaz Mohammad, 35, was buying some items from a shop when the assailants opened fire at him with automatic rifles.

They said the victim, who belonged to the nearby Mina area, was critically wounded and died while being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Khar.

A police official said an investigation was under way to ascertain the cause of the murder.

The local traders expressed concern over the daylight killing in the busy bazaar, and called for taking tangible steps to prevent such incidents in future.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2023