PTI leader in jail for 47 days in ‘illegal’ appointment case

SWABI: Abdul Karim, a former special assistant to chief minister on industries in the last Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in KP, has been behind bars for the last 47 days.

The PTI leaders alleged on Sunday that the former cabinet member was facing a case wherein he had requested for age relaxation for a person who was appointed a peon at a public sector primary school in his constituency.

Abid Ali, who belongs to the Tordher village, the same area Karim hails from, was appointed in the Government Primary School Tordher No.4 by district education officer after being granted a two-year age relaxation.

According to the man, the then KP chief minister had granted him the age relaxation on Karim’s request which he considered “a legal process.”A first information report was registered against him by the Anti- Corruption in the case.

Abdul Karim was arrested on July 4 from the premises of Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC) where he had appeared in a case registered against PTI’s leaders and workers.

He along with others were accused of blocking Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway and setting on fire two toll plazas at the Swabi Interchange on May 9 while protesting the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan.

The PTI leaders believed that it was legal to appeal for the age relaxation for a candidate which was granted only after that Abid had joined the district education as peon.

When contacted, Abdul Nasir, the brother of Abdul Karim, said that they had approached the Peshawar High because his bail application was rejected by the local court.