SWAT: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Sunday launched a campaign here to call for the release of their incarcerated leader and former prime minister, Imran Khan.

PTI leaders and workers staged a large rally at Nishat Chowk in Mingora for the drive.

They also marched from there to Sohrab Khan Chowk.

Provincial environment and forestry minister Fazal Hakim Khan led the rally, which was also attended by assembly members Akhtar Khan, Sultan-iRom, Hameedur Rehman, Mohammad Naeem, Sohail Sultan and Saleemur Rehman, city mayor Shahid Ali Khan and Kabal tehsil chairman Saeed Khan.

The participants shouted slogans for the release of Mr Imran and demanded PTI leader Murad Saeed come out ofhiding.

The speakers said the PTI faced difficult times, but even then, its popularity increased, as was evident from its landslide victory in the Feb 8 general elections.

They thanked voters for supporting the party.

The speakers said the PTI was the only political party to have massive public support across the country.

They said the PTI had fulfilled its election promise to restore the Sehat Card health insurance scheme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The PTI leaders said PTI founder Imran Khan should be released from the jail immediately, while former minister Murad Saeed should come out of hiding.

They said the campaign for therelease of Mr Imran would be extended first to other parts of Malakand division and later to the entire province.

The speakers said authorities should release PTI leaders without delay as the patience of their supporters was wearing thin.

They also said there should be an end to the registration of false FIRs and other excesses against PTI leaders.

The PTI leaders praised courts for ensuring the swearing-in of those elected to assemblies as their party`s nominees.

They insisted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif`s government came into being as the result of Form 47. They called for measures to alleviate the misery of impoverished people by controlling prices of essentials. Correspondent