BAJAUR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Bajaur chapter president and former MNA Gul Zafar Khan was arrested during a raid on his house on Saturday night for committing irregularities in development projects and appointments, sources in the police and PTI told Dawn on Sunday.

They said the former lawmaker was arrested from his house in Gatkai area of Mamond tehsil during a raid conducted jointly by the local police and officials of the anti-corruption department, Lower Dir.

They said the raiding team first searched the PTI leader’s hujra, but didn’t find him there as he had left the place just before their arrival. Later, the raiding party arrested the former MNA from his home.

Police sources told Dawn that the former lawmaker was arrested for committing irregularities in development schemes and appointments in departments when he was MNA from 2018 to April 2022.

A video clip went viral on social media soon after his arrest, showing Gul Zafar asking the raiding team members to show him the arrest warrants.

The clip showed the PTI leader and his family members didn’t put up any resistance.

The sources said the detained PTI leader was later shifted to the police station in Khar.

A senior police official in Khar on Sunday confirmed the former PTI lawmakers’ arrest in different corruption cases. The official, who wished not to be named, said Mr Khan, who was the former MNA from NA-41 Bajaur-II, was wanted to the anti-corruption department in Lower Dir for his alleged corruption in road schemes and illegal appointments in education department.

He disclosed that the anti-corruption department had summoned the former MNA along with former provincial minister Anwarzeb Khan to its office in Timergra in August for investigation into their alleged corruption.

However, he said the former MNA didn’t appear before it to record his statement, which led the officials to arrest him from his home.

Meanwhile, the family members and party leaders termed his arrest unlawful and politically motivated.

Talking to reporters, PTI local chapter vice-president Sikander Zeb Khan, Nawagai tehsil council chairman Dr Khaliur Rehman, Dr Hamidur Rahman and others strongly condemned the detention of Gul Zafar.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2023