PESHAWAR, Sept 24: The Hayatabad police on Thursday night arrested 20 persons, including two bridegrooms, under Anti- Terrorism Act who allegedly resorted to aerial firing, officials told Dawn here on Friday. Police officials claimed that SHO Hayatabad went to Sector-D in Phase-I of the township after receiving information about aerial firing during the wedding ceremony.

The police officials said that they asked the family members of the bridegrooms Amir Khan and Iqtidar, sons of Zahir Shah, to stop the firing. However, the police claimed that the wedding party members got annoyed and later about 50 persons attacked the police station. They ransacked the record room and furniture and also injured SHO Usman Khan and constable Owais.

The police locked the main door of the police station and detained 20 of the attackers, including the two bridegrooms and their brother Raza Shah.

The family members have disputed the police claim and said that the local police party headed by SHO came to their residence and asked them that they had invited some proclaimed offenders to the function and they should leave the place.

They also checked some of the guests who were possessing licensed pistols. The police also brought four of their guests to police station and charged them that they resorted to aerial firing.

The family members of the bridegrooms and some guests later went to the police station to persuade the SHO for the release of four persons. But the SHO ordered the cops to lock up the main door of the police station and detained all of them.