July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

PESHAWAR, July 1: Police on Tuesday claimed arresting seven members of an outlawed militant group during an operation in various areas of the metropolis.

They also reported seizing arms and ammunition.

Police personnel, backed by Frontier Constabulary, raided a number of houses in Hayatabad, Peshtakhara, Daudzai, Chamkani, Ormar and Khazana areas and detained 36 people, 29 of them proclaimed offenders, an official said.

He said a Karachi-registered stolen car was found in possession of a man living in the Mathra area. The man was also arrested.

Recovered weapons included nine Kalashnikovs, three rifles, seven pistols and 328 cartridges, the official said.

He said the operation was continuing in the city’s suburbs because criminals had made people’s lives miserable.

The police, he said, were determined to protect people’s lives and property.

He did not identify the suspects who, it is believed, belong to the Bara-based Laskhar-i-Islam militant group.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said a campaign had been launched against vehicles with tinted glasses to restrict criminals’ movement.

He said 456 people were penalised for driving vehicles without number plates and owners of 381 vehicles with tinted glasses were fined.He said the Capital City Police Officer had appealed to the people to cooperate with police in its drive against militants and all people violating rules.

Syed Irfan Raza adds from Islamabad: The civil armed forces on Tuesday expanded their operation to the settled areas of the NWFP, including Peshawar and its suburbs, and arrested 46 criminals.

The interior ministry said in a statement that criminals had expanded their activities into the settled areas of Peshawar and people were living in fear and insecurity.

It said that besides the civil armed forces working under the interior ministry the provincial government had also initiated action in Peshawar. Police had arrested 46 criminals and seized weapons, ammunition and narcotics during raids.

It said the perilous law and order situation and increasing activities of the criminals and outlaws in Peshawar and adjoining areas had necessitated the action.

It said the Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency had become a sanctuary for criminals who had virtually paralysed the political administration and diminished its writ.

It said the criminal elements were also involved in extortion, kidnapping for ransom and robbery.

The ministry said that extensive consultations had been held at various levels and among the federal government, Fata secretariat and the NWFP government before launching the action in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.

It said that the basic objective of the operation was to restore normalcy in Fata with minimum damage and without any collateral losses, adding that it would continue until all the objectives were achieved.

The ministry said the security forces advanced in accordance with their plan and no casualties took place on the third day of the operation.