KOHAT, Aug 3: A local court here on Wednesday remanded former union council nazim of Lachi tehsil and his five supporters in police custody for two days for attacking the police station.

The ex-nazim, Fawad Khan, and his relative Sohail had forcibly entered the Lachi police station to get his relative released after he was arrested on unspecified charges late on Tuesday night. According to reports, they had also exchanged hot words with the station house officer and other policemen and resorted to firing in the air.

Meanwhile, the people of the area surrounded the police station and pelted stones at the police as a result of which SHO Khanullah and two policemen received injuries. Some accused in the police lockup also got injured in the fighting.

The protesters later blocked the Indus Highway and demanded the release of the suspect Hidayatullah. The police overpowered them and arrested Fawad, Manzoor, Waseem, Faisal, Abid and Nazeer for interfering in police affairs, firing, beating policemen and blocking the Indus Highway.

The elders of the area reached the police station and initiated talks with the police officers for the release of the nazim and his men, who are said to be influential landlords of the area. The negotiations continued for several hours, but the police high ups ordered that the accused should be arrested and proper FIR lodged against them.

Later, the police registered cases against several people who had blocked the highway and raids were being conducted for their arrest.

DEGREE COLLEGE: MNA from Orakzai Agency Jawad Hussain laid the foundation stone of a degree college for boys in Dargai area here the other day. Speaking on the occasion, he said that getting education was indispensable for the tribal boys and girls so they could effectively contribute to the progress of their backward area. — Correspondent