Shangla violence: 26 held as cases registered against 1,200 PTI workers

ALPURI: At least 26 workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf were arrested after the police registered cases against 1,200 protesters on Saturday.

Three persons had been killed and 30 others, including seven cops, sustained injuries when the situation during a protest staged by the supporters of a PTI-backed candidate turned ugly on Friday.

The activists were protesting against the delay in releasing the results.

The police have registered cases against the PTI workers under various sections of law, including 324, 302, ATA and others.

The police and lawyers clashed when the former arrested PTI activist Saddar Rahman, advocate, while Syed Farin, a candidate for NA-11 and other PTI workers obtained pre-arrest bail.

Bisham Tehsil Council Chairman Sadidur Rahman, who is also the son of Syed Farin, was arrested and shifted to the Peshawar Prison.

The police were also conducting raids to arrest the accused involved in the torching of an official vehicle and attacking the police station. Markets and bazaars were partially shut and gloom prevailed in the Alpuri and adjoining areas over the death of three persons.

Syed Farin in a video message has said that they had gone to the DRO office while his supporters were holding a peaceful protest at the Main Chowk in Alpuri.

He has accused the DRO of rigging, saying that he was in a leading position but results were altered in the Form 45. He rejected the results of NA-11 constituency and vowed that he would use every forum to get his rights. Tensions ran high in Shangla when a large number of PTI workers from across the district reached Alpuri, the headquarters of Shangla, where they staged a protest, demanding the issuance of Form-45. The protesters blocked the Alpuri-Bisham road at 6am due to which hundreds of vehicles were stuck on both sides of the highway.