Court orders release of 103 PTI workers in Swabi

SWABI: A local court on Thursday ordered release of 103 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers on bail who were arrested for violating Section 144 imposed after the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan on August 7.

The PTI workers had staged a violent protest at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk on August 7, prompting the law enforcers to swing into action. The police had arrested some of the workers on the spot and the rest were nabbed in separate crackdowns in the district afterwards.

The court of judicial magistrate Swabi-1, Mohammad Khalil Khan, on Thursday accepted the plea of the PTI workers and ordered their release on bail.The released activists included major (retd) Fida Hussain, former district general secretary of the party.

It has been learnt that former MPA Aqibullah Khan, who is the brother of ex-speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, former MPA Rangaiz Khan, and Swabi Tehsil Mayor Attaullah Khan have also secured bail from the local court.

Meanwhile, the PTI activists were accorded a warm welcome upon their release. A large number of party workers had gathered outside the jail to welcome them.Speaking on the occasion, the released workers stated that staging protest was their constitutional right and they could not be bowed down through such tactics.

They criticised the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government for using coercive means to subdue the political opponents in the country.

Shahzada Fahad, former Insaf Students Federation, Peshawar region youth wing president, said they would not bow to any pressure. “Our struggle to make Pakistan a true welfare state will continue under the leadership of Imran Khan,” he went on to add.