PESHAWAR, June 15: A heavy contingent of the Peshawar police stormed the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday and took into custody Mazdoor Kissan Party president Fatehyab Ali Khan and drove him away to some unknown place.

The MKP leader had come from Charsadda where he had attended a large gathering held in protest against eviction of farmers from some villages by landlords. As soon as Mr Khan entered the club premises, where he had to address a press conference, policemen swoop on him, but the journalists present there intervened and escorted him to the building.

Speaking to newsmen, Mr Khan said it had been proved that the provincial government was hand in glove with the landlords against the farmers who had been tilling the lands for decades.

He also criticized the Federal Shariat Court, saying it had endorsed the evictions by avoiding to announce a verdict against the landlords. He said the MMA was responsible for introducing a culture of intolerance, bigotry and extremism in society.

He alleged that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had been formed to de-politicize the country and advance the agenda of power mafia. He expressed the confidence that genuine political forces would never allow the MMA to turn the NWFP into a Kandahar or a Kabul and enforce a system aimed at serving the interests of the land-owning class.

Later, when Mr Khan came out of the club, the police arrested him and drove him away and asked him to leave the province. Workers of the MKP chanted slogans against the police and MMA leaders, particularly Chief Minister Akram Durrani.

It is the second time that police have expelled the MKP leader from the province on the basis of an old case against him. "Police have been supporting the illegal eviction of farmers for many years.

Some of the senior officials are also involved in the practice," said Gulab Khan, an MKP worker. About a month back too, the police had entered the PPC premises and tried to arrest a local leader of Hizbut Tahrir.

Talking to Dawn, Peshawar SSP Abid Ali said that a few days ago they had received a fresh order banning Mr Khan's entry into the province. He said they had served the order on the MKP president in Karachi yet he arrived in Peshawar.

"Police have obeyed the government order," he maintained. The PPC president condemned the police raid on the club and demanded action against the police officials involved.