Recent revelations indicate that Murad Saeed, a fugitive since the violent events of May 9 last year, has maintained active communication with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and other prominent leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Despite being in hiding, Saeed continues to wield significant influence within the KP government and the PTI, as confirmed by sources within the party.
Murad Saeed, who is wanted in connection with the violence that erupted on May 9, has allegedly been involved in orchestrating internal power shifts within the PTI. Sources suggest that he has taken steps to remove Atif Khan and Shakeel Khan from their positions, leveraging his influence over CM Gandapur to push for decisive action against Shakeel Khan. Party insiders describe Saeed’s actions as “divisive,” contributing to growing internal conflicts within PTI’s KP wing and parliamentary party.
In a related development, Mishal Yousafzai was reportedly ousted from her position for arranging a meeting between an opposition faction leader and the PTI founder at Saeed’s request. Saeed, who once represented NA-4 and served as the federal minister of communications, remains a member of PTI’s core committee despite his fugitive status.
In January of this year, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) directed law enforcement agencies to provide details within a week of the criminal cases registered against Murad Saeed. Justice Mohammad Ijaz Khan issued notices to several key officials, including the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary, the Inspector General of Police, and directors of the National Accountability Bureau, Federal Investigation Agency, and the provincial anti-corruption establishment. These notices were in response to a petition filed by Saeed’s father, Saeedullah, seeking information about any FIRs and potential detention orders under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.
Advocate Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, representing Saeed’s father, argued that the authorities had consistently refused to provide any details regarding the cases against Murad Saeed. He also stated that Saeed had attempted to pursue legal remedies but faced obstruction from local police, preventing him from accessing the courts.
Following the May 9 protests, many PTI leaders and workers went into hiding to evade arrest. Murad Saeed narrowly escaped a police raid in October 2023 at a house in Peshawar’s Defence Housing Authority, where his brother-in-law, Asad Ilyas, and two personal staff members were arrested. The police also filed an FIR against other family members, including two women, for allegedly assisting in Saeed’s escape.
The police, acting on intelligence that Saeed was present, conducted another raid on Kamran Bangash’s hujra in Chamkani on October 22, 2023. However, instead of apprehending Saeed, they arrested Bangash for allegedly aiding Saeed’s escape.
By January 2024, Murad Saeed, along with six other PTI members, was declared a proclaimed offender by the Lahore anti-terrorism court for failing to comply with arrest warrants related to the May 9 violence. Despite multiple police raids, Saeed and the other suspects remain at large.
