NOWSHERA: The incident of killing of an activist of PTI in Pabbi Town took a new turn on Monday when his father told a court that Mian Iftikhar Hussain , the arrested leader of Awami National Party, was not involved in the murder of his son and he was pressurised to nominate him in the case.

“Neither I had named Mian Iftikhar before for the killing of my son nor now I want to nominate him in the case,” said Sher Alam Khan, father of the deceased Habibullah, who was killed early on Sunday when PTI activists were celebrating victory of their candidates and had gathered outside the office of ANP on GT Road.

Mian Iftikhar was produced before the judicial magistrate, Shiraz Tariq, after completion of his one-day custody with the police and the court sent him to judicial lock-up.

A panel of lawyers headed by Abdul Lateef Afridi appeared for Mian Iftikhar and filed a bail petition on his behalf which will be heard on Tuesday (today). The counsel contended that after the statement of the complainant, keeping the applicant behind the bars was unjust and he should be set free on bail.

In the evening, Regional Police Officer Saeed Wazir and District Police Officer Rab Nawaz Khan addressed a press conference and rejected the allegation that the arrest of Mian Iftikhar was political victimisation. They said that in the light of statement of the complainant, they were conducting investigation and would follow due process of law.

The officials said that an investigation team comprising SSP Imtiaz Khan, SSp Shahid Khan and Inspector Syed Jamil was constituted to trace the killer of Habibullah.

Father of deceased PTI worker says he was pressurised to name ANP leader in the case

They also took credit for saving the life of Mian Iftikhar from the mob and said that in case they had not arrested him it was impossible to take him out from his office safely.

Earlier, the complainant recorded his statement under Section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure and said that the enraged people, who had gathered there, had put pressure on him to name Mian Iftikhar in the case. He added that he was overcome by emotions at that time.

“Mian Iftikhar is like my brother. I did not make any such claims and I have no grievances against him,” he told reporters. He added that even at the time of occurrence he tried to save him from the mob.

Supporters and well-wishers of Mian Iftikhar turned up in large number on Monday. They were chanting slogans against the provincial government and in favour of Mian Iftikhar.

Prominent among them were ANP provincial information secretary Sardar Hussain Babak, Arbab Tahir and district president Malik Juma Khan.  

Talking to reporters, Latif Afridi said that the father of deceased PTI worker cleared in his statement that Mian Iftikhar and his guard were innocent and he had appeared in court of his free will.

“Sher Alam has said that he even tried to save Mian Iftikhar from the mob, and that he himself was beaten and his clothes were torn. He said that Mian Iftikhar did not kill his son and that he didn’t file any complaint against him,” said Mr Afridi.

Speaking on the occasion, Mian Iftikhar said that he had no link to the killing.

“When police and army personals appeared helpless in front of the mob, his (Habibullah’s) father even then protected me like an angel. The murderer of his son is like my son’s killer. I will try my best that he is caught and brought to justice,” he said.

Iftikhar thanked Imran Khan for praising his courage in a statement, but urged the PTI chairman to stop his provincial government from ‘politics of revenge’. He also thanked to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for showing their sympathies with him.

The ANP leader said that a fair investigation should be carried out into as to why he was nominated in the case when there was no evidence or complaint against him.

Later, ANP workers stage a procession.

Also, ANP Rashakai chapter blocked the main GT Road in the morning against the alleged rigging of local government elections.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2015

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