Pressured into nominating Mian Iftikhar in FIR, says deceased PTI worker's father

Police say they will remove Mian Iftikhar's name from the FIR after slain PTI member's father gives statement in...

PESHAWAR: The father of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker killed during violence marred LG polls in K-P said on Monday he was ‘pressurised’ into nominating veteran Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain in the case.

"Neither Mian Iftikhar nor his guards murdered my son, I was pressurised into registering an FIR against them," PTI worker Habibullah's father, Sher Alam said.

“Mian Iftikhar Hussain is our elder, I have not nominated him in the FIR,” Sher Alam told journalists outside the court, adding he had recorded the statement under the CrPC 164.

“I have not leveled charges against Hussain but against another person,” he added.

Read: Amid inflamed tensions: ANP leader arrested on murder charge

Further, speaking to the media outside the court, the ANP General secretary said, “It was because of Sher Alam that I was not harmed the day I was attacked for  alleged involvement in the killing of the PTI worker.”

“I have maintained that I have no knowledge of the incident, PTI chief Imran Khan should inquire why my name was added to the FIR if the father of the deceased had not nominated me,” Hussain added.

Hussain has been handed over to the police on a remand for another 24 hours.

On Sunday, Hussain was arrested after an FIR was filed against him following Habibullah's death outside the ANP campaign office in Pabbi Bazaar where party workers had gathered to celebrate their victory in the local government elections.

According to police, members of the winning party were chanting slogans and firing gunshots into the air when Habibullah was struck by a bullet — which proved fatal.

Read: K-P govt played no role in Mian Iftikhar's arrest: Imran

Leaders of several political parties condemned PTI over the arrest of Mian Iftikhar. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also criticised the move as he called for political personalities to be treated with respect within the parameters of law.

Read: PM expresses concern over Mian Iftikhar's 'arrest and manhandling'

Following his death, the father of the deceased PTI worker approached Pabbi police and registered a murder case against Mian Iftikhar Hussain, who, according to him was sitting in his office at the time of the incident and ordered his guard to shoot his son. Police registered a case against Mian Iftikhar under sections 324,320 and 109 of Pakistan Panel Code (PPC) and arrested the ANP leader. He was later presented before a civil judge in Nowshera and was remanded to the police for 24 hours.

Police to remove Mian Iftikhar’s name from FIR

After the father of slain PTI worker testified in court, clearing ANP leader Mian Iftikhar of blame, police said they may remove the former provincial information minister.

According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) police Mardan Saeed Wazir, Iftikhar’s name will be removed since Sher Alam, the father of slain PTI worker Habibullah, recorded a statement under Section 169 clearing Iftikhar.

“Neither Mian Iftikhar nor his guards murdered my son, I was pressurised into registering an FIR against them,” Sher Alam said.

Addressing a press conference along with District Police Officer (DPO) Nowshera Rab Nawaz, the DIG said police were investigating the case. He added that the Alam’s statement in court on Monday had given the case a new dimension.

Recalling the sequence of events, Wazir said Mian Iftikhar had called DPO Nowshera complaining that a mob was pelting him with stones and that he was feeling threatened. At this, the DIG sought help from the military. “We also made an announcement that police would register FIR against anyone involved, aiming to defuse the tension”.

In the meantime, he added, armed ANP supporters reached the scene, giving rise to a possibility of clash with the PTI workers and prompting Mian Iftikhar’s immediate arrest.

Mian Iftikhar was ‘evacuated’ not arrested: IG K-P

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Inspector-General of Police (IG) Nasir Durrani said on Monday that the FIR against Hussain was filed to protect him from an angry mob following clashes in Nowshera.

While talking to a private television channel on Monday, Durrani said Hussain was not arrested, rather he had been “evacuated” from the scene, as he was under threat from an mob.

The K-P police chief said the ANP leader had not been booked for murder, rather he was charged only under Section 9 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and was filed under pressure from the mob outside Hussain’s residence.

Gandapur refuses to surrender

With the clamour for equality and arrest of provincial minister and PTI leader Ali Amin Gandapur grew, police deputed outside his house were left groping thin air, Express News reported.

Gandapur dodged the law as he managed to escape the police cordon outside his house which was being supervised by the Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer (DPO) himself, reported Express News correspondent Ramzan Semaab.

According to the DPO, they had made all efforts to arrest the minister by deploying personnel outside his house. “Gandapur had asked for half an hour time to prepare himself for the arrest”, he claimed.

But the minister failed to show.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak reportedly contacted Gandapur and urged him to obey the law and to surrender.

According to the DI Khan police, vote count was under way in Hemath Adda polling station on Sunday when PTI lawmaker Ali Amin Gandapur accompanied by his brother Umar Amin Gandapur, a candidate for tehsil nazim, and his armed supporters arrived, picked up the ballot boxes and began putting them in the minister’s car.