28 held for attacking Nawagai police station

Police on Friday arrested 28 people on the charges of attacking Nawagai police station and torching it in Bajaur tribal district.

Talking to The Express Tribune District Police Officer (DPO) Banajur Abdul Sumad Khan said that on Thursday around 1,000 villagers attacked the police station who wanted a suspect Rasheed – a local faith healer.

“A man Ghafoor went missing three days ago and on Thursday his relatives informed police that the suspect Rasheed was involved in the mysterious disappearance who is a local faith healer,” said the DPO, saying that police arrested the faith healer and put him behind bars for interrogation.

“After a few hours the body of Gharoof was found in a deserted place after which people from the village marched on the police station and demanded handing over the accused to locals but police declined,” he said, adding that after this the angry mob forcefully entered the police station building and freed the man who was stoned to death.

“They also torched the police station,” he added.

There are a total of 20 policemen at the police station of which 12 went out to search the house of the accused as they believed that he might have killed the man and buried him inside his house so at the time of the attack there were only five to six policemen at the police station who escaped when the mob attacked it.

“So far 28 people have been identified and arrested by police. An FIR has been registered against them for attacking public property and destroying it.

"Murder clauses have also been included in the FIR,” he said.

In total 1,000 people have been booked in the FIR and efforts were underway to arrest them including the leaders of the mob.

The DPO claimed that no negligence on the part of police has been found as the attackers out-numbered police by a huge margin.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21^st, 2022.