16 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Shangla activists jailed for protesting against Imran Khan’s arrest

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 7 (ANI): Additional district and sessions judges in Alpuri and Chakesar tehsils of Pakistan’s Shangla on Sunday sent 16 activists of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who were arrested on Saturday, to prison in Swat for holding a protest against the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Toshakhana case as they violated the Section 144, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. 

This comes after Pakistan district and sessions court on Saturday sentenced Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case i.e. for illegally selling state gifts and he has been disqualified from politics for a period of five years. 

On Saturday, the Shangla administration declared Section 144, imposing a ban on gatherings for a month. However, the PTI activists held a protest against the arrest of the party’s chairman Imran Khan, forcing the administration to start a crackdown on them for violating the ban. 

Sub-divisional police officer, Puran, Sher Hassan led raids and arrested seven activists. Later, the arrested PTI activists were produced before the judicial magistrate on duty in Alpuri, who sent them to a prison in Swat, according to Dawn. 

Speaking to Dawn, PTI’s Insaf Lawyers’ Forum president Jawad Ali Noor said that nine activists, including three brothers of the Bisham tehsil council chairman, were sent to prison in Swat by an additional sessions judge Chakesar. He said that the Additional Sessions judge rejected the police request for a 15-day physical custody of them.

Jawad Ali Noor said the Bisham police had registered FIRs against 15 PTI activists and arrested nine of them on Saturday. The lawyer further said that they have already filed applications for obtaining bail for the arrested PTI workers, Dawn reported. 

Meanwhile, the police booked five local leaders of PTI in Bajaur tribal district for violating Section 144 and blocking roads and inciting the public during their protests against the arrest of Imran Khan, according to officials.

The officials said that Nawagai tehsil council chairman Khalilur Rahman, Rehan Zeb Khan, Luqman Khan, Abdul Haq and Mujib Danish were booked for holding a protest in the Khar Bazaar on Saturday. The FIR against them was lodged at a local police station after the complaint of Sub-Inspector Mambar Khan, in charge of the Khar Bazaar police post.

On Saturday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called for peaceful protests in Pakistan within the ambit of the law and Constitution after the arrest of the party’s chairman Imran Khan, Pakistan-based Dawn reported.

It also requested the Supreme Court to hear its review petition filed earlier in the day against the maintainability of the Toshakhana case. The PTI said it started taking action as per Imran Khan’s instructions for its organisation and political plan of action, adding that the entire nation had rejected the verdict of the sessions court.

After the court’s verdict, PTI on Saturday approached Lahore High Court against the party chairman Imran Khan’s arrest in the Toshakhana case, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. PTI lawyer Umair Niazi has filed the petition on behalf of the PTI chairman, according to the news report.