PESHAWAR: The police on Wednesday took the control of two main checkposts from the Pakistan Army, while a concrete wall built on the Fort Road near the Governor’s House was also pulled down.

The removal of checkposts, barricades and opening of closed roads in the provincial capital as well other parts of the province is being done in the aftermath of the Chief Justice Pakistan Justice Saqib Nisar directions, who had directed the authorities on May 9 to remove such barricades from all over the city.

The City Police said two main military checkposts, including one near the provincial assembly building on the Khyber Road and the other in Gora Qabristan area on the University Road, were handed over to them by the Pakistan Army.

SSP (operations) Javed Iqbal, who was present on the occasion, asked the police to remain vigilant to counter terrorism. He also said the police should handle the people courteously, while the people should cooperate with the policemen in maintaining law and order.

CJP had ordered removal of barricades from across Peshawar

SP (security) Sahibzada Sajjad briefed the policemen about the importance of both checkposts located in close proximity to the cantonment area.

On Monday, a concrete wall built on a portion of the Fort Road connecting with the Sher Shah Suri was demolished, while barriers were removed from eight places across the city, including Sher Shah Suri Road, Khyber Road, West Cantonment police Sunehri Masjid Road. A wall erected at the civil secretariat’s gate opposite to the MPA Hostel was pulled down.

The secretariat’s gate was closed in Feb 2015 for security reasons.

Dawn has learned that 101 security checkposts have been abolished in 11 districts of the province during the last some days.

Of them, 24 were jointly operated by the police and Pakistan Army and three by the police and paramilitary forces, while 59 were manned by policemen only.

Also, nine city checkposts and seven set up on highways were been removed.

The provincial capital has the highest number of checkposts i.e. 34, mostly controlled by the police only. The abolished checkposts were put up in Phase-I, VI and VII Hayatabad, Khyber Road, Civil Quarters, RA Bazaar, Polo Ground, Arbab Road, Gulberg, Pishtakhara, Sufaid Dheri, Achini, Michni Gate, Railway Road University Town and Canal Road areas.

In Mardan, Shago Naka was abolished in the limits of Shergarh police station, while four checkposts were removed in Nowshera district, including Jalozai, AC Chowk, Pabbi and Ajab Bagh areas.

In Charsadda, 10 checkposts were removed from the Motorway interchange, Sardaryab, Munda headwork, Jamaabd and Haji Zai. A police-army checkpost was also done away with.

Swat saw the abolition of 10 checkposts, including six police-army ones. Seven checkposts were removed in Buner, 10 in Chitral and 15 in Hangu.

In addition, 22 checkposts, including eight military-police checkposts and two jointly controlled by the police and paramilitary forces, have so far been abolished.

Two checkposts have been removed in Battagram district of Hazara division.

A home department official told Dawn that there were military and police checkposts were put up in light of security situation.

He, however, said the home department had no data of the abolished checkposts and the police department was in a better position to comment on it.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2018