June 20, 2008	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1429

TIMERGARA, June 19: Enraged protesters on Thursday stopped at Khall the convoy of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who was on his way to Upper Dir to attend a party meeting, eyewitnesses told Dawn.

The road blockade led to a tussle between the JUI-F’s chief guards and the protesters.

The protesters threw stones on the Maulana’s vehicle and also stopped other vehicles, including those accompanying Maulana Fazl, from proceeding further.

The people of Khall were protesting against unscheduled power loadshedding and low voltage in the area.

They had also blocked the Khall Shalpalum bypass leading to Upper Dir.

Workers of the JUI-F and guards of Maulana Fazl asked the protesters to open the road and let the Maulana pass, but they refused.

This led to a scuffle between the protesting people and the Maulana’s guards. The two sides used sticks and stones against each other and as a result three people were injured.

Police present there fired in the air and succeeded in dispersing the protesters, sources said. However, police officials rejected that police had not fired aerial shots.

Later, Maulana Fazl proceeded to Upper Dir, but the protesting people did now allow other vehicles in his convoy to pass through and they were returned to Timergara.

The protesters damaged one of the vehicles belonging to Upper Dir chief of JUI-F Maulana Fazal Azeem, the sources said. The road remained blocked for more than four hours.

The protesters called upon the government and Pesco authorities to end the prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding and increase the voltage.

They complained that the low voltage and frequent power outages had also led to shortage of drinking water in the area.

Talking to Dawn, Lower Dir secretary-general of JUI-F Aminullah blamed Jamaat-i-Islami activists for the incident, saying it had been done to insult the JUI-F leadership.

He claimed that they were not protesting against the Pesco authorities but had come out on the roads to strop Maulana Fazl from visiting Upper Dir.

He said some guards of the Maulana had been injured in the incident.

The Jamaat-i-Islami’s Dir Lower chapter, however, rejected the allegation and said it had been done by the people of the Khall area.

Party spokesman Maulana Ubaidullah told Dawn by phone: “We are democratic and believe in democracy.

We can never think of insulting a politician. The JUI leaders should think before issuing such immature statements.”

The Khall police registered a case against 12 local people, including Qabil Sayed, Muqadar Sayed, Hamidur Rahman and Saood.