CHITRAL: The Ayubia Union, the jirga of royal family of Chitral, has demanded the release of the Mehtar of Chitral and PTI MPA, Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir, who was recently detained by Islamabad police. Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Shahzada Amir Hasanat, Shamsher Dastgir, Inayatullah Aseer, Ghulam Nabi, Shida Dastgir, Abdul Ghafar Lal and other elders condemned the arrest.
They alleged that unidentified men in plainclothes, accompanied by the Islamabad police, barged into Chitral House in Islamabad and ransacked the premises and violated the traditional pardah (privacy) of the royal family.
“Is this how a state treats the descendants of the man who handed over Chitral to Pakistan?” a union leader asked.
“Today, our Mehtar sits in detention without charge, trial and access to court. This is not justice; it is punishment without trial and Chitral will not accept it,” he said.
Takes exception to ransacking of premises, violation of privacy
Defending the MPA’s political affiliation, the union stated that supporting former prime minister Imran Khan and standing with the PTI was neither treason nor a threat to public order.
They emphasised that Fatehul Mulk Ali Nasir entered mainstream politics to serve his people and give the mountainous valley a powerful voice in the provincial assembly.
They highlighted the loyalty of the Katoor dynasty to the state of Pakistan, drawing a stark contrast between past sacrifices and the treatment of its descendants.
“Mehtar Muzaffarul Mulk, the great grandfather of the current Mehtar, had signed Chitral’s accession to Pakistan. Under Prince Colonel Mataul Mulk the Chitral Bodyguard Force fought through harsh winter terrain to secure Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan,” they said.
They issued a six-point resolution demanding the nullification of the 3 MPO detention order against the Mehtar, make the official grounds of his detention public as mandated by the Constitution and refrain from extending or renewing the detention under alternative preventive laws.
The resolution demanded an investigation into the night raid on Chitral House in Islamabad, guaranteeing the Mehtar’s right to meet his legal counsel and family members and stopping use of administrative detention laws as a political weapon against opposition.
The Ayubia Union warned that if their demands were not met, a protest would be launched across all valleys of Chitral. “Our voice will be loud, but our path will be peaceful,” the organisers declared. “We will stand together until our Mehtar returns home to Noghor (royal fort).”
Earlier, hundreds of the union leaders staged a protest from the royal fort, demanding release of Fatehul Mulk.
Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2026
