KHAR/GHALANAI: The police have destroyed poppy crop cultivated over vast tracts of land in Bajaur and Mohmand tribal districts.

Talking to mediapersons in Khar, district police officer Pir Shahab Ali Shah said poppy crop was destroyed during an operation conducted by the police department the other day in several localities of Barang region.

He said that action was taken following information that a number of growers of Barang region had cultivated poppy crop on their lands. Soon after that a team of police personnel was sent to the area to convince the growers to destroy the crop voluntarily.

During the meeting with growers, the DPO said that the police officials urged them to destroy poppy crop from their lands willingly as the department had zero tolerance against poppy cultivation in the district.

It was stated that after their refusal poppy crop over 20 kanals in Asil Targaoo and Silai Pati areas was destroyed in the action.

In Ghalanai, the police on Friday destroyed poppy crop cultivated over 689 kanals in Prang Ghar tehsil of Mohmand district.

Sub-divisional police officer, Ekkaghund, Dilfaraz Khan, told Dawn that on special directives of DPO Fazal Ahmad Jan they had started poppy eradication campaign from the first week of March in Karkana, Marongi, Tatareen, Johar and other far-flung areas in Prang Ghar tehsil.

Dilfaraz Khan said that about 60 police officials along with DSP Khalid Khan covered a distance of about two and a half kilometres to reach the poppy fields in the mountainous area.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2020