MINGORA (Swat), July 4: Four people were killed and a police officer, his driver and three civilians wounded in a roadside explosion near the police lines here on Wednesday.

And a policeman was shot dead, reportedly by militants, in Swat’s Char Bagh Area.

NWFP police chief Sharif Virk blamed Maulvi Fazlullah, who leads a proscribed militant organisation, for the explosion and attack on a police station in Mata area of Swat district on Tuesday night.

The mortar attack on the police station left policeman Zahir Shah dead and wounded four others, officials said.

“Militant leader Maulvi Fazlullah has close links with the administration of the Lal Masjid and the provincial government is contemplating action against him,” Mr Virk told Dawn.

The cleric, who had recently signed an agreement with the provincial government, in broadcasts on his FM channel on Tuesday and Wednesday, asked his supporters to take up arms against the government to avenge the action taken against Lal Masjid and carry out suicide attacks.

Witnesses said an explosive device went off when an official vehicle carrying District Police Officer Dr Mazhar Kakakhel was passing through the area.

Four passersby were killed, while three civilians, the DPO and his driver were injured.