Civil society members in Swat valley on Monday criticised the local police for lodging a First Information Report (FIR) against six people who participated in a protest against alleged unnecessary checking at security checkposts in Swat a day earlier.

The protest, called by civil society members and youth of the valley, was against what they called unnecessary and strict checking at various security checkpoints. The police, however, said that the FIR was lodged against only those individuals who were allegedly chanting "anti-state slogans".

Khwazakhela police had lodged an FIR against six persons, including Bacha Gul, Aimal Khan, Ahmad Shah, Izhar, Hussain Shah and Latif Khan under various charges, including terrorism.

“Actually the protest was not against the checkposts but against the strict checking. I don’t know why police lodged FIR against some of the protesters,” Sohail Asghar, a social activist in Swat, told Dawn.

The civil society members complained that after the February 4 suicide bomb blast inside the army unit’s sports area in Kabal tehsil the checking had been heightened at the checkposts and the situation is causing problems for commuters and local residents.

They said it was their right to hold a peaceful protest as freedom of expression is a constitutional right of every Pakistani.

“I was shocked to see the content of the FIR in which police have filed cases against [the protesters] under the Anti-Terrorism Act despite the fact that these are the people who are against terrorism and have offered sacrifices against terrorism,” said Attaullah Jan, a lawyer in Saidu Sharif. It was a peaceful demonstration and there was there nothing anti-state in it, he stressed.

Another activist highlighted the troubles allegedly caused by the security checks.

“Due to strict checking, students cannot get to schools and colleges on time, patients to hospitals and workers to their jobs and everyone is fed up of strict checking and delays,” said Hazir Gul, a civil society member in Mingora.

Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, also condemned the FIR and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

“Both the military and civil administration should address the legitimate grievances of the people rather than intimidating them,” he said.

Other civil society members threatened that they would stage a protest if the government did not withdraw the FIR against the six protesters.

When contacted, District Police Officer Wahid Mehmood maintained that holding a peaceful protest was the right of citizens but the FIR had been lodged against those who allegedly chanted "anti-state slogans".