ATTOCK, June 3: The district police officer (DPO) on Monday suspended the entire staff of Basal police station including SHO and Pind Sultani police post in charge for negligence in performing their official obligations during the clash among villagers two days ago.

As revealed by the DPO in preliminary investigations and visit to the crime scene, the responsible police officials did not take preventive measures to avoid the clash despite being informed by villagers, which led to the killing of JUP-N Attock district General Secretary Muhammad Dawood Mustafai and injuring of his three relatives.

Police officials were reluctant to arrest the accused who easily escaped after the clash over a land dispute, sources said.

This led to a protest by the relatives of the deceased, villagers and JUP-N activists, sources said.

The protesters burnt the house of accused, Mityal police post and toll plaza on Kohat-Pindi road. All of suspended police officials were asked by the DPO to report to the district police lines till further order, sources added.

Meanwhile, the district police spokesman, Malik Javed, said the new staff at Basal police station and Pind Sultani police post is being appointed after the suspension of the previous staff.

He further said five different police teams have been formed under the supervision of SP Investigation Abbas Majeed Khan Marwat and are attempting to trace and arrest the absconding criminals involved.

So far seven, out of total 28 nominated accused, were arrested by the police and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining accused including master mind Sardar Ameer Khan, he claimed.

It is worth mentioning that the protesters agreed to end their two days long protest on Sunday evening only after the assurance of MNA Malik Itabar and DPO that all accused would be arrested within 72 hours.

Otherwise, they warned that they would stage protest demonstration on Kohat-Pindi road.

It is important to mention that Basal police station registered a murder and attempted murder case against 28 persons, including Sardar Ameer for allegedly killing Mr Mustafai and injuring his three relatives when the deceased tried to get an agricultural land that belonged to poor villagers vacated from Ameer Group.

It may also be mentioned here that the accused had also been booked by Attock city police station for manhandling the then EDO Revenue Attock Nadeem Ahmed Abro on March 18, 2009 over dispute of a Patwari’s transfer.