SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s former MPAs and other leaders secured bail-before-arrest from a local court here on Wednesday.

Briefing mediapersons after obtaining the BBA, Sohail Yousafzai, the PTI district president, said an FIR was registered against them in Swabi city police station for violating the Section 144 when they held a workers’ convention on Dec 2.

However, PTI senior vice-president Sher Afzal Marrwat, who is also included in the FIR, has not secured bail. A total of 20 party leaders and workers have got BBA.

Additional district and sessions judge-I Aziz Khan granted the BBA to former MPAs Aqibullah Khan (brother of former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser), Abdul Karim, former adviser to chief minister on industry, Swabi tehsil council chairman Attaullah Khan, district president Sohail Yousafzai, Faisal Tarakai, brother of former provincial minister Shahram Khan Tarakai, and other activists.

Meanwhile, former PTI MPA Rangiaz Khan said on Wednesday that the party was ready for the coming elections despite various hurdles and obstacles. “We are very much in the field and in a much stronger position. We will emerge victorious once again,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2023