PESHAWAR: The police high-ups have directed all the SHOs to tighten security and ensure regular patrolling to check movement of suspected elements in settled areas, keeping in view reports about a possible reaction of the military operation in North Waziristan Agency.

According to officials of various police stations, a sufficient number of personnel have been deployed for the security of sensitive installations, vulnerable areas, markets and bazaars to ensure protection to the people.

The police are also using sniffer dogs to check vehicles and goods at bus stands to avert any untoward incident.

An official of the West Cantonment police station said that maximum of the force, including female police personnel, had bee put on alert.

“We have assigned duties to the policemen to keep close liaison with the traders associations and carry out body search in case of doubt about anyone. During the daytime, the official said, five lady police personnel also remained on duty in Saddar Bazaar while in the evening their number was increased to 10 due to rush of the visitors.

He said that police were also on guard to avert robberies, adding that such incidents could happen in any busy bazaar on occasions like Eid.

“We have stopped entry of vehicles into Saddar Bazaar after evening to avoid congestion because there is no parking system and majority of the drivers park cars on wrong sides and thus the situation becomes out of control,” the official said.

An official of East Cantonment police station said that reserved police had also been deployed to check the people and vehicles.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani has directed the police to take all possible steps for security of public and warned that strict action would be taken in case of negligence. He said this during his visit to different bazaars on Sunday.

The IGP was accompanied by capital city police officer Ijaz Ahmed Khan, SSP Najeebur Rehman and SP Suhaib Ashraf.

He also met the shopkeepers and leaders of traders’ union and sought their feedback about the security arrangements. He asked the people to extend full cooperation to the police to control crimes in their respective areas.

Published in Dawn, July 28th, 2014