MARDAN, March 5 A market was blown up in the Takhtbai bazaar here on Wednesday, destroying 18 CD and three other shops.

The watchman, Bahader Khan, said 10 people came to the Khursheed Market, famous for CD business, around midnight and overpowered him. He said they first asked him to prepare tea for them, but when he refused they held him at gunpoint and started planting explosives in the market.

He said later they took him out of the market and detonated the explosives, reducing the market to rubble.

Sources said the armed men had planted four improvised explosive devices in the market, destroying all the shops, including one general store, one mobile phone shop and one electronic shop.

Bahader Khan said he informed police but when they arrived the accused had fled.

The SHO of the Takhtbai police station, however, claimed that the watchman was not present in the market at the time of the incident.

PROTEST Activists of the Islami Jamiat Talaba, Mardan chapter, held a demonstration and burnt tyres outside the Mardan Press Club to protest against the arrest of students in the University of Peshawar.

The protesters criticised the alleged violence over IJT activists and said police interference in affairs of educational institutes would not be allowed.

They warned that if the students were not released immediately, the IJT would launch a province-wide protest against the administration and the provincial government.—Correspondent