MANSEHRA, July 28: Rowdyism on Saturday marred a Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf meeting in the district as two groups traded corruption charges.

The meeting, where PTI district convener Javed Khan Swati was not in attendance, went out of the organisers’ control after local leader Shahid Rafiq accused former district president of the party Sardar Khan and former NA-21 candidate Niaz Sarkhali of embezzling funds.

Mr Sardar and Mr Sarkhali and their supporters responded to the allegation by attacking Mr Rafiq and his sympathisers.

The two sides had a heated argument and even scuffled.

However, some participants stepped in and calmed things down by taking Mr Rafiq away.

Later, many PTI workers criticised their leader Azam Swati for ignoring them in decision making and declaring himself a NA-20 candidate for the next elections on his own.

They said their candidate was Attiqur Rehman Jahangiry and they would vote for him in elections.

Mr Sardar and Mr Niaz said on the occasion that they would respond to the corruption charges against them at an appropriate forum.

Senior PTI leader Malik Mushtaq Khattana later told reporters that whatever happened in the meeting was unfortunate but was part of a democratic process.

He said a five-member committee has been formed to resolve differences among leaders and make a strategy to prevent rowdyism in future.

“We know very well that some forces are afraid of the PTI popularity in the district and are, therefore, hatching conspiracies to divide it but we’ll foil such conspiracies by staying united,” said Mr Khattana.