BATKHELA: The personnel of Malakand Levies arrested more than 60 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf including former provincial minister Shakeel Khan for staging a rally here on Monday.

Levies personnel, supervised by additional assistant commissioner Noor Nawaz Khan, also resorted to firing in the air to disperse the PTI workers, who were protesting price hike and inflation in the country.

The arrested PTI workers were sent to different police stations.

The protesters, led by former lawmaker Shakeel Khan, took out a rally on bypass road in Batkhela despite imposition of Section 144 by the district administration against hike in prices of petroleum products and inflation. They were chanting slogans against former rulers and caretaker government.

Levies personnel tried to stop them when the protestors reached the main road. However, the protesters did notstop that resulted in scuffle between them and Levies personnel.

Levies personnel resorted to firing in the air to disperse the protesters. Several PTI workers and Levies suffered injuries.

Levies arrested PTI activists and sent them to various police stations.

After the arrest of protesters, more than 50 leaders and workers of PTIincluding Skhakeel Khan also offered court arrest. Levies personnel also sent them to different police stations.

Later,PTIformerMPA Humayum Khan from Dir district and Dargai tehsil chairman Pir Islam visited the office of deputy commissioner to seek release of more than 60 protesters.