MANSEHRA, July 4: Thirty-seven clerics and students of different seminaries were arrested on Tuesday night in a crackdown on people who attacked offices of NGOs and the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority in the Ghazikot town in reaction to the Lal Masjid standoff.

Police and Frontier Constabulary personnel carried out the midnight operation.

Angry protestors had blocked the Karakuram Highway and damaged the offices and vehicles of different NGOs and Erra. They had also set on fire a police checkpoint in Ghazikot. Some protestors had also opened fire and the FC personnel had retaliated.

On Wednesday, offices of national and international NGOs working in earthquake-hit areas of Mansehra, Battagram and Kohistan remained closed due to the deteriorating law and order situation. Most of schools and colleges also remained closed.