Upper Dir police arrest over 60 PTI workers for violating Section 144

By Syed Zahid Jan

November 27, 2023

DIR: Police in the Upper Dir district have arrested more than 60 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf activists who were charged with violating Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) by organising the workers’ convention in Sahibabad area here on November 25.

Sources from various police stations, including Sahibabad, Dir, Kalkot, Sheringal, Gandigar, and Wari, said that dozens of workers and former PTI lawmakers, including Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Gul Zafar from Bajaur, Junaid Akbar from Malakand, and Fazal Hakim, had been booked. PTI vice-president Sher Afzal Khan Marwat was also charged with violating Section 144 during the said convention.

Upper Dir District Police Officer Waqar Ahmad Khan told this correspondent that the PTI leaders had been booked for violating Section 144 imposed by the deputy commissioner on November 21. The PTI leaders and hundreds of workers were charged under Section 188 and 124-A of the PPC.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters can be seen in this picture with a child raising the flag of PTI in this image released on April 25, 2023. — Facebook/Imran Khan

Police sources mentioned that the PTI had not obtained any permission from the local administration to hold the workers’ convention. He said that under the instructions of the Peshawar High Court, the PTI was required to apply for permission to conduct the convention.

The sources added that, so far, none of the booked leaders had been arrested. However, DPO Waqar Ahmad and local police confirmed that police had arrested more than 60 PTI workers, with ongoing raids at suspected hiding places of PTI activists nominated in the FIRs.

Also on Sunday, two injured PTI workers and one policeman were discharged from DHQ Hospital at Dir to go home. These three individuals had been injured in Saturday’s clash between PTI workers and the police at Chukyatan.

Meanwhile, former PTI MNAs and MPAs from Upper Dir and Lower Dir districts announced to approach the Peshawar High Court to challenge the administration’s actions to prevent them from holding a convention. They argued that the court had already directed the provincial government to allow the PTI to carry out its political activities.