KP CM orders police to prevent murders linked to blood feuds, property disputes

PESHAWAR: Expressing concern over the rising murders linked to blood feuds and property disputes, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Tuesday directed the police to take concrete steps to prevent such incidents.

He issued the directives while chairing a meeting here on Tuesday that reviewed the overall law and order situation in the province, said a handout. Besides Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz and Inspector General Police Muazzam Jah Ansari, the meeting was also attended by all divisional commissioners, regional police officers and other officials of the Police and Home Department.

The police chief gave a detailed briefing on the steps taken to improve law and order situation in the province and the future course of action. The chief minister decided the officials to hold fortnightly meetings on a regular basis to review law and order situation in the province. It was decided to ban the issuance of new arms licenses. A case to this end will be moved to the provincial cabinet for formal approval.

The chief minister stated that the KP government would provide all resources to the Police to improve law & order situation and added that the force needed to improve overall performance.

Mahmood Khan directed the police officials to take strict actions against the display of arms, festive firing and narcotics. The chief minister directed the police to work out a strategy to strengthen the Counter Terrorism Department and Special Branch to enable them effectively deal with the emerging challenges.

He directed the commissioners to initiate massive crackdown against encroachments across the province and hand over the retrieved land to the relevant departments within two months-time. Taking notice of the traffic issues and public miseries due to protest demonstrations frequently staged in front of KP Assembly building in Peshawar, the chief minister directed the officials to specify any another suitable place for that and completely ban such activities at the aforementioned place.

Earlier, the participants of the meeting were informed that police were working to collect and tabulate data of all blood feuds and property disputes at the police station level across the province. Besides dispute resolution councils were being strengthened as well.

It was added that the Narcotic Eradication Teams were being constituted at all district headquarters under the direct command of district police officers to net the big fishes involved in drug trafficking.

The meeting was told that 496 intelligence-based operations were conducted and 113 suspects were detained. Over 15,000 kilograms of various narcotics were seized and 16,000 accused arrested during various actions against narcotics.

More than 17,000 accused were arrested during the actions against illegal arms and ammunition. The forum was informed that 206 cases were registered, 663 accused charged and 587 held during the crackdown against the land mafia during the current year.