BANNU, May 8: The teachers of Abdul Hameed (John Walker), an American Taliban fighter, were arrested here early on Tuesday morning.

The two teachers, Mufti Altamas and Maulana Khizar Hayat, were taken away in army trucks to Peshawar, sources said, adding that rumours were also rife in the Bannu city that they had been shifted to Quetta for interrogation. Their arrest has sent shock waves among the residents, who are very much irritated at the government action.

Mufti Altamas was arrested in the Hasni Killi Surani, a small village on the outskirts of the city, while Maulana Khizar was taken into custody in the Shabaz Azmi Khel village. The news of their arrest spread like a jungle fire in the entire Bannu district.

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (fazl group), in its emergency meeting, announced to launch a protest movement against the arrest of the two Ulema.

A big protest rally was taken out from the main Haq Nawaz mosque. The processionists marched through all bazaars of the city raising slogans against America and its allies.

The rally turned into a public meeting at the Lakki Gate chowk, which was addressed by Maulana Latifur Rehman, Maulana Hazrat Gul, Maulana Qari Mohammad Abdullah, Maulana Hafeez and Ikram Durrani, an ex-MPA.

The speakers criticized the government for its alliance with the Zionist forces.