UPPER DIR, Aug 22: The government will consider establishing a police station in the area along the Afghan border to improve the law and order situation there and provide every possible support to the local lashkar fighting militants, a senior police official said.

Meeting lashkar members in Barawal Police Station here on Monday, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police Malakand Division Akhtar Hayat Gandapur said the government would consider a suggestion of converting a police checkpost in Shahikot to a full-fledged police station. The armed lashkar has been fighting militants crossing over from Afghanistan and attacking security forces and villagers in the border area of Upper Dir.

The militants attacked Shaltalo village in the first week of June this year and killed 27 police and levies personnel besides killing four civilians.

The second attack in the first week of July in Nusrat Darra was warded off. At least two militants were killed in that attack while the lashkar suffered on fatality.

Lashkar chief Shad Malik complained that the villagers had taken up arms but the government was not providing support to it. “We are not being provided support like Hayagay lashkar, which was given ration and its members inducted in police,” he added.

Mr Malik said that the lack support from the government was unacceptable as villagers had been confined to homes due to the tussle with militants. Malik Sher Alam, a member of the lashkar, demanded of the DIG to allow people of all bordering region to keep weapons.

PROTEST: Students of Government Degree College staged a protest demonstration against prolonged and unscheduled loadshedding and blocked the Dir-Peshawar road for three hours.

The students marched from the college up to Dir Chowk. They were accompanied by a large number of people protesting against the power outages.

The student leaders refused to hold talks with police officials and demanded that senior district administration officers should hold talks with them.

The road blockade caused problems to the people. However, an administration official reached the spot and showed the loadshedding schedule to the protesters and assured them that Pesco would follow it.

The students and people agreed to end the protest but warned that if Pesco violated the schedule, it would be responsible for any damage to its installations.