PESHAWAR, Dec 22: Police failure to maintain law and order came under sharp criticism at a meeting of the district council here on Wednesday with members requesting the provincial government to take appropriate steps to improve the situation.

Enraged by what they called a deteriorating law and order situation in the city, speakers said that kidnapping for ransom had become a routine. Due to the unchecked activities of anti-social elements, citizens were feeling insecure in the district, they added.

Rejecting the city police chief's claim regarding decline in the crime rate, a councillor, Ibadatullah, said on the contrary, crimes had registered a sharp increase. He condemned the police for not registering FIRs which, he said, had allowed the criminals to carry out their activities with more vigour.

Other members said the police were living under a fallacy that non-registration of FIRs would conceal their incompetence. They deplored that no security arrangements had been put in place for the district council meeting.

Councillors pointed that being located in the proximity of the tribal belt, Peshawar was at the disadvantage, because criminals often fled to the lawless tribal area after committing crimes.

According to them, it was the responsibility of the Frontier Constabulary to protect the boundary with tribal belt but regretted that the police were just protecting the smugglers.