17 January 2005	Monday	06 Zilhaj 1425

PESHAWAR, Jan 16: Police fired tear-gas shells and used batons to disperse residents of Mathra who were protesting against the killing of two persons by a group of highwaymen on the Warsak Road on Sunday morning.

According to witnesses and police officials, a passenger van was on its way from Shahgai village in Mathra locality to the city when the highwaymen tried to stop it near Sangar Ghari on the Warsak Road at 5am.

The driver of the van tried to speed away but the bandits opened fire with automatic rifles and killed one person on the spot. Three passengers suffered severe bullet injuries in the attack.

The deceased was identified as Wisal Mohammad Tabassum, son of Gul Mohammad, a security guard at the US Consulate in Peshawar. The injured were Awal Zaman, son of Raza Khan; Malang, son of Mir Mohammad and Hidayat, son of Ziarat, who were rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital. Malang succumbed to his injures in the afternoon.

The incident sparked an angry protest by the villagers. They chanted slogans against the police and the government in front of the Mathra police station. During their march towards the Governor House, the protesters tore down some roadside signboards and damaged private vehicles.

When the protesters moved towards the Governor's House on the Khyber Road, the police tried to stop them. On their resistance, the police resorted to baton-charge and fired tear-gas shells to disperse them.

However, no-one received serious injuries during the action, witnesses said. The protesters headed back to their village on being assured by the district Nazim, Azam Afridi, that the highwaymen would be arrested soon.

The residents complained that the passenger van was going to the city from an area not safe for travelling in darkness. They added that Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani had inaugurated the construction of a Shena bridge at the Shahgai village about two years ago and promised to complete it within six months.

The government has not yet fulfilled that promise. The villagers held the provincial government responsible for the killing of two persons at the hands of highwaymen. They have demanded compensation for the victims and set a three-day deadline for the arrest of murderers.