MARDAN/PESHAWAR, March 30: A policeman was killed and four passers-by were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at Katlang Bazaar in Mardan on Saturday.

Mardan Deputy Inspector General of Police Jafar Khan told journalists that they had got information that two suicide bombers were on their way to Katlang Bazaar to carry out terrorist activities.

He said that after getting information about the planning of militants, they deployed a contingent of police on Mardan-Katlang Road to search suspected people and suspicious vehicles. The police party, deployed on the road, was led sub-inspector Khushdil Khan.

The DIG said that the sub-inspector signalled two motorcyclists to stop for search but one of them jumped from the motorbike and blew himself up.

Khushdil Khan was killed on the spot and four passers-by received injuries in the suicide attack, he said.

The DIG said that the second bomber fled the scene but police chased him. He entered a house, the official said, adding that law enforcers besieged the house but the second bomber also blew himself up to avoid arrest.

Police took several suspected people into custody in the area.

It was the first suicide attack on police in Mardan. In the past suicide bombers had targeted army training centre and recruits in Mardan Cantonment area.

In Peshawar, the office of a non-governmental organisation was damaged partially and a vehicle destroyed completely when an explosive devise went off near its gate at posh Hayatabad Township early on Saturday.

Police said that unidentified persons had planted an explosive device near the main gate of the office of Sawera, the NGO, and detonated it through remote control.

Referring to a report of the bomb disposal unit, an official of Hayatabad police said that the explosives were packed in a canister that weighed about five to six kilograms. However, no casualty was reported in the blast.

Police registered a case against unidentified terrorists and started investigation.

Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network (PCSN) has strongly condemned the attack on the NGO office. It said that attack on the office of Sawera was a cowardly act because the organisation was working to promote female education.

“The terrorists are targeting the social sector because of its pro-people work. The social sector wants to free people from the clutches of darkness. We demand of the government to compensate the organisation,” said Idrees Kamal, the coordinator of PCSN.

He said that NGOs were under attack for the last one year. Few months ago Farida Afridi of the same organisation was shot dead in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency, he added.

“The lukewarm response of security forces and their failure to target terrorists in tribal areas emboldened the trouble-makers to set up permanent bases in Fata. The terrorists are now targeting civilians and other forces on daily basis,” Mr Kamal said in a statement.

He said that the caretaker government should devise a proper strategy to flush out terrorists from the country.

“A delegation of PCSN will soon meet with government officials, chief minister and governor to seek their support in this regard,” he added.