30 arrested over Peshawar protests against custodial torture

Peshawar, June 27 At least 30 people were arrested in Peshawar for rioting during the ongoing protests over the stripping and torture of an accused in police custody.

The protests continued for the second day on Friday as the police and mobs clashed in different parts of the Pakistani city, reports Dawn news.

A large number of protesters gathered near the Peshawar Press Club and tried to attack a police mobile van.

Some armed protesters fired bullets into the air. The mob later went to the Surey Pul Chowk, where they clashed with riot police.

The protesters pelted the police with bricks, while the police used teargas shells to disperse the mob.

A statement issued here quoted city police chief Mohammad Ali Gandapur as saying that the police had arrested 30 rioters and some of them were armed.

He said majority of those held were the local residents, while some were Afghan nationals.

On the call of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, lawyers also boycotted courts across the province to record their protest over custodial torture.

( With inputs from IANS )