SWABI: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leaders have advised their workers to remain in low profile to avoid arrest, and wait for the opportune time to kick start their political activities for strengthening the party in Swabi district.

Through a message, circulated in the inner circles of the party, key leaders, including former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, former adviser to chief minister Abdul Karim and Shahram Khan Tarakai have advised the party’s Swabi president Mohammad Sohail Yousafzai to contact the workers to use different tactics to avoid being arrested by the police.

When contacted, a local PTI leader told Dawn that the district police were looking for any excuse to arrest the party workers, so they had to be very careful to avoid arrest. He said as the core leaders of the party had either gone into hiding or were in jail, it was difficult for them to play any role if any worker was put behind bars.

Anwar Haqdad, former district president of the party, said PTI was going through a critical phase of its existence, and claimed the workers were trained by the party chairman Imran Khan to weather the storms steadfastly and emerge victorious.

ROBBERS ARRESTED: The police in a successful operation traced a two-member gang of inter-provincial robbers, who had snatched a tractor, cash and mobile phone from a man at gunpoint, district police officer Najamul Hussain said on Sunday.

He said Rukhsar Ali of Tordher village had reported the matter to the Tordher police station. He said a police team launched investigation into the matter after registering an FIR, and tracked down robbers, Bilal Khan and Ibadullah of Jalbai village.

He said the tractor was recovered from the house of Bilal. He said Rs20,000 and mobile phone snatched from the complainant had also been recovered.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2023