KOHAT: The police on Monday released all the 170 workers and leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, who were arrested from the venue of the party’s convention here on Sunday.

However, PTI leader Ishfaq Khan said whereabouts of party’s district president Aftab Alam, general secretary Sajid Iqbal, former tehsil nazim Naseem Afridi and Daud Afridi were not known.

Talking to Dawn on phone, he said the party had filed an application with the the sessions court, seeking its directions to the police to produce Sajid Iqbal in court.

He added the court had ordered his production, but deputy commissioner Dr Azmatullah Wazir and the district police officer denied he was not in the police custody.

They were picked from venue of convention on Sunday

Mr Ishfaq said they would file a case in the Peshawar High Court on Tuesday (today) against the district administration for denying the party permission to hold the workers’ convention.

He said the party had filed an application with the district administration on Oct 24 seeking permission to hold the convention, but the deputy commissioner issued a notification only a day before the scheduled gathering, denying the party permission to hold it, which was regrettable.

He said the notification quoted the DPO as expressing his inability to provide security for the public meeting.

He said the party would also inform the high court that while PPP was allowed to hold the convention in Kohat, PTI had been refused. He said the DC’s notification also cited terror threats as reason for not granting permission to the PTI to hold the convention, but there was no such threat for the PPP.

About the delay in arrival of party’s senior vice-president Sher Afzal Marwat to the venue of the convention, Mr Ishfaq said that he was transported from Bajaur to Kohat in an ambulance because the police were after him. “After reaching Kohat just before evening he was taken to the venue of the convention on a motorcycle.”

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2023