A firing incident involving PTI MPA Shakeel Khan and Levies personnel in Malakand has left two Levies officials injured, according to media reports. Shakeel Khan, a PTI Member of the Provincial Assembly from Swat, has been named in an FIR registered over the incident. Videos purportedly showing MPA’s guards firing have also surfaced on social media.
The incident comes after PTI leader Junaid Akbar reportedly warned during a speech about the party’s September 27 protest that Islamabad would be turned into “Somnath” and destroyed if protesters were met with violence. Authorities have taken strict notice of the Malakand incident, while legal proceedings, including arrests, have been initiated against Shakeel Khan and others named in the case.
Government sources said there would be no leniency for those responsible and that strict action would be taken under a zero-tolerance policy. The incident has also triggered political criticism, with opponents accusing PTI leaders of attempting to escalate tensions and create instability.