'Afridi, some of his cabinet members in preventive custody'

PESHAWAR:

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry confirmed on Monday that former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) chief minister Sohail Afridi and some of his cabinet members had been "taken into preventive custody," following the imposition of emergency and governor's rule in the province.

"Yes, I can confirm that the chief minister (Sohail Afridi) and some of his cabinet members have been taken into preventive custody," Chaudhry told Reuters.

If any of them have any cases to be tried against them, they will be charged and tried but the others will be released, he said, adding that the detentions happened on Sunday.

A day earlier, K-P Information Minister Shafi Jan claimed that Afridi had been arrested and urged people across the province to gather in Peshawar. However, at the time, no government official had confirmed his arrest or detention.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police in Peshawar said Afridi remained in police protective custody.

The DIG added that eight senior PTI leaders had been taken into protective custody following the imposition of emergency measures and governor's rule in K-P. Those detained included Afridi, Junaid Akbar and K-P Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati, he said.

"Separately, 169 PTI workers were arrested in a crackdown in Swabi. The arrests were carried out in Shewa Adda, Yar Hussain, Razar, Swabi Khas, Topi, Lahor and Gadoon, among other areas of the district," the DIG said.

According to the DIG, those arrested included several local office-bearers and active PTI workers, saying that they were taken into custody over concerns that preparations for the party's long march, which began on October 4, could disrupt law and order.

The DIG added that a heavy police contingent had been deployed across Swabi and that further arrests were expected.