K-P ex-deputy speaker arrested in murder case

Mahmood Jan has had a long-standing dispute with Isa Khel clan of Khyber tribal district

PESHAWAR:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former deputy speaker of the K-P Assembly Mahmood Jan, and two others, were arrested by police in an alleged murder case on Saturday.

According to the police officials, a murder and an attempted murder case was registered against Jan after a land dispute with Isa Khel clan, in which three people have been so far killed on both sides and more than eight were injured.

The police later produced the arrested PTI leader in a judicial magistrate’s court, where the court handed over the accused to the police on a one-day physical remand.

Earlier, the police informed the court that Jan was arrested on charges of shooting at the procession of the Isakhel tribe within the limits of the Regi police station. The tribesmen were protesting against the grabbing of thousands of acres land by the Mahmood Jan family.

The accused were arrested after being granted interim bail by a local court in Dera Ismail Khan. Further investigation is underway.

PTI leadership has been in hot water after the May 9, 10 violent protests.

Thousands of PTI workers have been booked and arrested in a K-P-wide crackdown.

It may be mentioned here that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has initiated an inquiry against former chief minister Mahmood Khan over misappropriation charges in Bagh Dheri irrigation channel project.

The anti-graft watchdog has summoned details of Bagh Dheri irrigation channel work in Swat and allocated funds from PTI leader and former chief minister.

NAB has sought the details of the estimated cost of Bagh Dheri irrigation channel project and demanded relevant record from the investigation officer.

NAB sources have claimed misappropriation in funds in the irrigation channel project.

CM Mehmood Khan had inaugurated the irrigation project in October 2020, which was later renamed as Shamizai Irrigation project and completed at a cost of Rs907 million to irrigate 5500 acres of land in Bagh Dheri, Ashari, Sambar and Kharara villages.

PTI leader Pervez Khattak has also announced his resignation from all positions of the party in the wake of May 9 incidents following the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan.

While addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Khattak said that “nothing good happened on May 9… I have condemned the incident before, may Allah prevent such an incident from happening again.”

He said that the political environment of the country is bad. “I have decided to leave the post of the party… I will decide about the future course of action after consulting with friends”.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2023.