MINGORA: The local councillors staged a protest demonstration here on Tuesday against their ill-treatment by Mingora police.

Scores of district, tehsil and village councillors marched from Nishat Chowk to Swat Press Club and chanted slogans against police. They accused police of ill-treatment.

The councillors said that they were invited by Mingora police several times for meeting but were sent back without holding meetings or talks with them.

`The Mingora police are making fun of us. They asked us several times to visit the police station for an important meeting with the DSP but after hours of wait we found the DSP out of the police station,` the protesters said.

They warned police against such adopting behaviour with them.

`We are elected representatives. The government officials must respect the public mandate,` the protesting councillors said. They threatened to resign if police didn`t change their attitude.

However, an official in Mingora police station, when contacted, said that a meeting was scheduled with the elected representatives but the DSP could not reach as he was in a meeting with the DFO.

Meanwhile, the rickshaw drivers also staged a protest againstpolice highhandedness and accused the law enforcers of issuing illegal challans to them.

The rickshaw drivers marched from general bus terminal in Mingora and gathered outside Swat Press Club.

They were chanting slogans in favour of their demands. They said that police issued challans to them daily and created problems for them in earning livelihood for their families.

The protesting drivers appealed to the authorities to stop police from committing injustices against them so that they could earn livelihood for their families.

ARREST: Police claimed here on Tuesday to have arrested a wanted man, who was involved in several terrorist activities.

They said that Saleem Ahmad, a resident of Manjha area in Kabal tehsil, was arrested at the genera bus stand in Mingora.

Ahmad had gone to Saudi Arabia after launch of military operation in Swat, they said, adding he was arrested on his return on Tuesday.

Police said that Ahmad was involved in a suicide attack and firing on a security checkpost in Totano Bandai in 2008. Two police cops were killed and 10 civilians were injured in the attack. Correspondent