TIMERGARA, July 31: The peace committee of the Lower Dir district has fixed August 3 as the deadline for the Mardan police to arrest the dacoits who deprived two local traders of Rs20 million on July 7.

Sources said the committee during a meeting here on Tuesday decided that they would take steps on their own if the robbers were not arrested and the looted amount not recovered by Aug 3.

The meeting was presided over by committee chairman and former district amir of JUI, Maulana Fazalullah.

The peace body’s general secretary, Haji Habib Ahmad, president of the Traders Association of Timergara, Shakirullah, and its general secretary, Ihsanullah, ANP leader Shamsul Qamar, PPP’s Shahid Jan, TNSM’s Malik Mehmood Jan and Haji Anwaruddin were also present.

The participants criticised the Mardan police and said that despite tall claims they failed to arrest the culprits.

The meeting decided that after August 3 a shutter-down strike would be observed in Timergara and other areas of the Lower Dir district.

A sub-committee was also constituted to meet the officials of Dir and Mardan in order to inform them about the grievances of the local people and traders.

The committee demanded of the central government to withdraw the army deployed in Dir and send it back to the barracks.