KOHAT, March 12: A technical committee in its report submitted to the government has said that property worth Rs1.49 billion was destroyed during three days of violence following the suicide attack in Hangu on Feb 9.

Officials told Dawn that the report had also been presented to the judicial commission which had completed a separate inquiry into the incident.

The a technical committee comprised chief engineer Tariq Saeed, executive engineer, communications and works department, Sufaid Mohamad and revenue officer Saeed Khan.

The report says that 620 shops and three bank branches were completely destroyed. Branches of three other financial institutions were partially damaged.

Vehicles damaged were two cars, three trucks, four tractors, one coaster and three pick-ups, including that of the Special Branch.

The inquiry commission headed by Justice Fazlur Rehman of the Peshawar High Court sent its report to the chief minister so that compensation to the affected was paid at the earliest.

In its investigation, the inquiry commission interviewed witnesses and inspected the site of the blast as well as the damaged property.

The commission, however, withheld its verdict as to who was responsible for violence and what were the causes behind it.

The report says that soon after the suicide bomb blast, Ashura mourners seized arms from law-enforcement personnel and started firing at people.

They snatched nine Kalashnikovs, five rifles, 26 chargers and 1,060 cartridges from the police and Frontier Constabulary personnel deployed for security of the Muharram procession. They also set on fire shops and government buildings.

The report has put the number of the dead and the injured in the blast and subsequent violence at 46 and 39, respectively.