LOWER DIR: The Lower Dir police have arrested 119 people for participating in violent protests and damaging government property, vandalism, blocking national highways, resisting law-enforcement agencies and violating ban on gatherings in the district.

The detainees included former MPAs Malik Shafiullah Khan, Malik Liaqat Ali and Azam Khan and other key PTI activists, a spokesman for the district police told reporters in the Timergara area here on Saturday.

The spokesman said that raids were being conducted to arrest the others wanted for violence, including former MNA Syed Mahboob Shah, Adenzai tehsil council chairman Fairoz Shah and Balambat tehsil council chairman Asim Shoaib.

He said 22 people were arrested under Section 3 of the MPO, 52 under Section 7 of the ATA and 45 for vandalising and damaging government property and violating Section 144.

The spokesman said the PTI workers threw stones at the police on May 9 injuring district police officer Tariq Iqbal, DSP (headquarters) Fakhre Alam Khan, Timergara police lines officer Ghani Rehman, Balambat SHO Mahboob Shah, additional SHO Balmabat Abdul Jalil Khan and several other officials.

Meanwhile, DPO Tariq Iqbal formed a special team led by SP (investigation) Zahoor Ahmad to investigate the May 9 violence in Balambat.

Another team led by DSP (investigation) Syed Zaman Shah will look into violent protests in Chakdara.

Also in the day, Gujjar Qaumi Movement leader Haji Zarin Khan Gujjar condemned the ransacking of the historical Chakdara Fort during PTI protests.

He along with general secretary of the movement Haji Mohammad Nazir visited the fort, met the commandant of Dir Scouts and said culprits should be dealt with strictly.

Mr Gujjar said the GQM workers would help law-enforcement agencies identify the people, who took away weapons and ammunition from the fort.

ROAD ACCIDENT: A man was killed after the vehicle he drove met a road accident in Bandagai area in the jurisdiction of Talash police station here on Saturday.

Also, a resident was injured after a pick-up van and a motorcycle collided head-on on the Timergara Bypass Road.

The Rescue 1122 workers shifted them to the district headquarters hospital.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2023