LOWER DIR: The workers of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan Peoples Party and Awami National Party on Monday staged a rally outside the office of district police officer against the attack on a religious seminary-cum-mosque allegedly by workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf during their protest last night at Gorgorai Chowk in Timergara.

The PTI workers had stormed a seminary and a mosque run by JUI-F at Gorgorai Chowk and manhandled the students along with their teachers. The PTI workers were protesting against toppling of the government of Imran Khan. Four of the students and teachers of the seminary were injured in the attack.

The rally outside DPO office was addressed by district emir of JUI-F Sirajud Din, general secretary Javed Iqbal, PPP district president Mehmood Zeb, JI tehsil emir Advocate Imranud Din and ANP leader Imran Takur.

The speakers condemned what they called attack on a local mosque and seminary and alleged that police were reluctant to register an FIR against the PTI workers. They said that political parties in Dir always respected each other in the past.

Dir PTI leaders reject allegation, term attack an act of outsiders

The protesters chanted slogans against behaviour of local police for not registering an FIR against PTI leaders and workers involved in the attack. They demanded of the DPO to immediately register an FIR against the persons involved in the incident and arrest them.

Later, a delegation of political leaders met DPO Irfanullah at his office and informed him about the grievances and anger among the workers. The DPO asked them to keep their workers calm. He said that the persons involved in the attack would be arrested soon. The protesters dispersed peacefully after his assurance.

Meanwhile, the PTI local leaders rejected the allegations of attacking a seminary and mosque and termed it a bid of outsiders, who wanted to create a law and order situation.

Addressing a news conference in Timergara, PTI district president Ghulam Hussain, Malik Adnan Khan, newly-elected tehsil chairman Qazi Asim Shoaib, Kashif Kamal and others said that PTI had nothing to do with the attack on a seminary and mosque last night.

They said the party was protesting on the call of Imran Khan peacefully but empty bottles were pelted at the protesters from the nearby rooftop. They said that anti-Imran slogans were also chanted from the building but the protesters remained peaceful.

Meanwhile, PML-N district president Malik Behram Shehzada said the dark age in the country ended with the change in regime through a constitutional no-trust resolution.

He said the nation was deceived in the name of change during the last three and a half years.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2022