MANSEHRA: The police on Sunday launched a crackdown on people who torched the Balakot police station, a patrolling van and took away arms following the murder of a local TikToker by a constable last week.

“All those miscreants, including social media influencers, who challenged the state’s writ by ransacking the police station following the killing of a man by a police constable at a private party, will be brought to justice under the relevant sections of the law,” Balakot SP Sabir Khan told reporters.

Police have booked around 2,500 protesters, including 24 nominated in the FIR registered under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

SP Khan said the police had arrested the constable, Mohammad Shahid, within 20 minutes of the murder of TikToker, Mohammad Javed alias Mahandri. However, miscreants, including social media influencers, instigated the people into torching the police station.

“We have so far arrested six miscreants, while around 14 have obtained pre-arrest bail. Raids are underway to arrest the remaining suspects,” Mr Khan said.

“We have obtained video clips of the attack, which will be used as evidence during the police crackdown and later in the court of law,” Mr Khan said.

WATER SUPPLY SCHEME: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati on Sunday said that the execution of the Rs18 billion gravity flow water supply scheme was underway to address water shortage in the city and its suburbs.

“I have been personally monitoring progress on this mega project as due to the depleting underground water table, people in the city and its suburbs are facing serious water shortages,” he told reporters here.

However, he added various small schemes had been launched to meet people’s water needs until the mega project was completed.

“The government has launched the Ramazan relief package to provide Rs12,500 to over one million people across the province,” he said.

Mr Swati said that the transfer of money under the newly-evolved online mechanism had started, and low-income families, including widows, orphans and people with disabilities, had begun receiving the money.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2026