Tourists’ looting: ANP leader demands action against Swat DPO

MINGORA: Central Leader of Awami National Party (ANP) and formal district nazim Mardan Himayatullah Mayar on Wednesday said that several incidents of looting tourists in Swat district happened due to the incompetence of cops.

Addressing a press conference here at Swat Press Club, he said that in the incident of robbing tourists in the Madyan area of the district, the police arrested innocent students from Mardan, instead of the real culprits.

“The District Police Officer (DPO) Dilawar Khan Bangash charged innocent students to hide his incompetence. Like the terrorists, the DPO is trying to sabotage peace and tourism of the scenic Swat valley,” said Mayar, adding that even Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Member National Assembly Dr Haider Ali and inspector general of police (IGP) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had directed the DPO to release the innocent students but to no avail.

He alleged that DPO Dilawar Bangash, through a conspiracy, was trying to sabotage the tourism industry of the scenic Swat valley.

He added that arrested students were beaten and harassed in police custody.

“We are going to file a writ petition in Peshawar High Court against the illegal confinement of students for 48 hours and physically harassing them,” Mayar said and demanded that DPO must be removed from his designation, otherwise he would bring the masses into streets for demonstration.

Mayar appealed to the chief justice to take suo moto action and establish a judicial commission to probe the incident.

Earlier, the four arrested persons were presented before the magistrate in Madyan, where they were sent to jail on judicial remand. On 9 August, 4 suspects were arrested by Kabal Police Station personnel after 20 tourists were robbed in Qandeel area of Madyan, Swat.