BAJAUR: The police have arrested two former provincial ministers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Anwarzeb Khan and Shakeel Khan allegedly for violating the Section 144 and attending a party workers’ convention held here the other day.

Sources told Dawn on Sunday the police had also logged an FIR against 25 party workers for violating the restriction on public gatherings.

They said both the PTI leaders, Anwarzeb from Bajaur and Shakeel Khan from Malakand were arrested during a raid in Raghagan area of Khar on Saturday evening, an hour after the workers’ convention concluded.

25 other party workers booked for violating Section 144

The sources said a police team conducted the raid when the senior party leaders, including PTI central vice-president Sher Afzal Khan Marwat and Shakeel Khan, were about to leave the venue of the public meeting.

They, however, said Mr Marwat managed to escape with the help of party workers.

A video clip shared on social media after the raid showed a police team pushing Mr Zeb into a police vehicle.

Both the district and provincial chapters of PTI, in their separate statements strongly condemned the act.

The statements shared on social media termed the arrests unjustified and an attempt to prevent the party from arranging peaceful gatherings.

However, the statements said the party would challenge the “illegal arrest” in courts.

Sources in PTI said party workers later shifted Mr Marwat to his residence in Islamabad on Saturday night.

In a video massage shared on social media on Sunday, Mr Marwat claimed the Bajaur police had attempted to arrest him after the convention, but he managed to escape and reached Islamabad safely.

Police sources said 25 PTI workers were nominated in the FIR lodged on the complaint of Khar police station SHO Rasheed Ahmad for violating the Section 144.

They said some workers nominated in the FIR belonged to other districts.

A police official said they had launched efforts for arrest of those booked.

Meanwhile, the police produced both the former ministers and another party worker before the judicial magistrate, who sent them on judicial remand.

Talking to reporters, the former ministers accused the police of arresting them illegally following the successful holding of the workers’ convention. They said such ‘illegal’ acts won’t weaken their commitment and loyalty with PTI and Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2023