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Published 19 Jan, 2012 12:08am

Swabi-Mardan Road blocked over killings

SWABI, Jan 18: Students of the Government PostGraduate College, Swabi, on Wednesday blocked the Swabi-Mardan Road to protest the killing of a passenger coach's kidnapped driver and his helper in Lower Dir district.

Later, traders and transporters joined in with students, complaining of growing lawlessness in the district and criticising the administration for failing to contain high incidence of kidnapping.

They demanded early arrest of the killers of the driver Mohammad Zahid and his helper Mushtaq Khan.

Unidentified people took hostage of the two before taking them away along with their flying coach to Lower Dir and demanding the Rs1.2 million ransom for their release.

Kidnappers later killed the two on non-payment of ransom before dumping the bodies at a deserted place.

The slain men were buried in Gohati area on Wednesday.

After learning about the blockade of the road, deputy superintendent of police, Swabi, Izhar Khan rushed to protestors and convinced them about restoring traffic by promising early arrest of the killers.

Before dispersing peacefully, protestors, however, set a three-day deadline for thepurpose and warned if killers weren't arrested by Saturday, they would again block the road.

Also in the day, motorways police arrested four men in Swabi after seizing two snatched vehicles.

Motorways police said their personnel stopped a car near Rashakai interchange after being informed by Islamabad police about its snatching from Golra area in the federal capital and arrested the two, Younas Khan and Ihsan Khan from Badabir area of Peshawar, inside it. The car was also taken into custody.

Motorways police also seized another snatched car in Swabi after arresting Peshawar's Khan Aziz and Ulfat Khan, who rode it.

SSP motorways police Abbas Ahsan said paramilitary investigation revealed that the four arrested knew each other and were part of a larger gang of car snatchers.

Meanwhile, the Abaseen Press Club, Chota Lahor, on Wednesday elected Sadda Intizar Ali and Mohammad Siyar Khan its chairman and general secretary respectively.

Also, Lajbar Khan was elected the press club's senior vice chairman, Farmanullah vice chairman, Murad Ali finance secretary and Mohammad Naeem press secretary.

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