Bike riders’ killing: Protesters block Swabi-Jehangira road

SWABI: The alleged killing of two bike riders by cops manning the Sherabad police post outraged the local people who as a mark of protest staged demonstration and blocked the Swabi-Jehangira road here on Tuesday.

The police opened fire on the two motorcyclists at night. One of them was killed on the spot while the other succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

It was learnt that police had erected a barricade in front of the Sherabad police post on Swabi-Jehangira road near Tordher village to check vehicles. In the meantime, the motorcycles appeared from Jehangira side and the police party signalled them to stop, but they sped away. It prompted the police to open fire.

As a result, Junaid Khan from Nabi village was killed on the spot and his friend Mehran Khan from Chota Lahor town was injured.

Mehran Khan was taken to the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar where he breathed his last.

The incident enraged the people of Nabi and other surrounding villages who blocked the Swabi-Jehangira road as a mark of protest for several hours.

This scribe tried to contact District Police Officer (DPO) Syed Khalid Hamdani to seek his comments, but he did not answer the phone calls.

It was learnt that the DPO suspended four policemen, including the in-charge of Sherabad Police Station.

It was not known as to who had ordered the cops to open fire.The cops who were suspended included Zahid Nawaz, in-charge of Sherabad police post, Yasir Khan, Hazrat Wali and Tufail Khan. Police sources said they had been arrested.