- Nowshera magistrate hands over Hussain to police on one-day remand after PTI activist lodge FIR on murder and attempt to murder charges against him
- Hussain pleads innocent, says PTI worker died owing to aerial firing from his own party workers
Awami National Party (ANP) Central General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain was arrested on Sunday following the registration of a murder case over the death of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker.
A PTI worker, Habibullah, was killed during aerial firing outside Hussain’s residence in Pabbi tehsil of Nowshera district in the early hours of Sunday.
A PTI activist, Khan Sher lodged an FIR of murder and attempted murder against the ANP leader. According to Sher Khan, the ANP leader “ordered his guards to open fire at a PTI rally when it was going past his residence”.
Following the FIR, police raided Iftikhar’s residence and arrested him along with his guard. Receiving the report of his arrest, ANP workers and leaders reached the police station in large number.
According to reports, PTI workers resorted to aerial firing to mark the festive occasion of party’s victory in local bodies elections. One stray bullet hit an activist, who died on his way to the hospital.
“After the declaration of initial results of LG polls in the area, PTI and ANP workers gathered in Pabbi bazaar and members of both the parties started chanting slogans against each other,” Pabbi Police Station Station House Officer (SHO) Shad Ali Khan said. “Things went sour and Mian Iftikhar came out to tackle the situation but it was too late,” he added.
Khan explained that activists of both parties resorted to aerial firing owing to which two PTI activists were injured. “They were rushed to a nearby hospital but one of the activists, identified as Habibullah succumbed to his injuries after which his father Sher Alam filed a case against Mian Iftikhar and his guard Jehangir,” he said.
Hussain was presented to Judicial Magistrate in Nowshera where he was handed over to the police on a one-day remand for further investigations.
“Hussain was then shifted back to the sub-jail, police rest house at Pabbi Police Station, as further investigations into the case were underway.”
However, denying involvement in the killed, Hussain said, “I cannot think of murdering anyone. The worker died owing to aerial firing from his own party’s workers.”
Addressing the media from the court, Hussain said, “I am very upset at the way I am being treated. I have done nothing and everyone knows that. They [PTI workers] came to attack me and when the police failed to protect me two contingents of army were called in.”
“If the police and army did not take action I might not be standing in front of you today,” he added.
Meanwhile, ANP Provincial President Haider Khan Hoti and Provincial Information Secretary Sardar Hussain Babak strongly condemned the Hussain’s arrest, terming it as “political victimization”.
Earlier, chaos, mismanagement and violence marred local government polls in KP which saw at least nine people killed and more than 32 injured in election-related violence across the province.
Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) district council candidate in Ameerabad, Tangi, Afzal Khan, was killed while ANP’s Youth Council candidate Alam Zeb Khan was also injured in a firing incident.
In addition to the QWP candidate’s murder, at least six people were killed in Charsadda. According to police, a man was gunned down in a brawl in Sherpao area while two others were injured.
In Tarnab area of Charsadda, two brothers belonging to the QWP were gunned down. Two more people were killed in Mandani area of the district in separate gun related incidents.
Police arrested the Charsadda general secretary for Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) Mufti Gauhar Ali for allegedly causing disruption in the voting process.
Further, police booked at least 58 people in Mardan, Charsadda and Swat.