SHANGLA: Members of the Shangla District Bar Association on Friday blocked the Bisham-Swat Road and demonstrated against the local police for registering an FIR against three of their colleagues over a scuffle between them and traffic police in the district headquarters Alpuri.

They earlier marched from the district bar room to Alpuri Chowk amid sloganeering against the police.

The protest was led by bar association president Waqif Shah and general secretary Mohammad Ibrahim Khan.

Mr Shah said the association would move the court as “certain individuals are defaming honourable people.”

He claimed that the traffic police had assaulted senior lawyers, and that they often humiliated lawyers and notables in the area.

The lawyer said a team from the association had gone to the police station, but instead of resolving the issue, the police filmed them and posted those videos on social media, falsely suggesting that the lawyers met them to seek forgiveness.

“Despite all this, the police lodged an FIR against lawyers,” he said.

Mr Shah said the lawyers would launch a formal protest against police from next Monday.

An official of the Alpuri police station said three lawyers had been booked for assaulting the police sergeant on duty.

He identified the suspects as Mohammad Sajjad and Mumtaz Ali, residents of Dehrai, and Irfan Khan of Lilownai.

The official said the case was registered on the complaint of traffic police officer Tahir Shah from Alpuri, while investigation into the case was under way.

He said the suspects had obtained pre-arrest bail from a court.

Meanwhile, the Shangla administration on Friday issued a price list for clothing services for the upcoming Eidul Fitr after holding several rounds of meetings with the tailor association in various tehsils.

The list will be applicable across the district and strict action will be taken against its violators, according to a statement issued by deputy commissioner Mohammad Fawad Khan.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2025