KOHAT: District police officer Javed Iqbal has approved a foolproof security plan for Eidul Azha with deployment of 1,500 personnel.

In a statement issued on Sunday, he said to control crimes the strike and strategic operations should continue and security of public and worship places ensured at all costs.

Under the plan, Mr Iqbal also assigned 10 squads of Elite Force for keeping strict vigilance around the shopping plazas and women shopping centres.

He has also directed strict implementation of the Covid-19-induced SOPs and sweeping of the areas by the bomb disposal squad.

He said personnel in plainclothes and lady police had also been included in the security plan.

He said blockades had been erected at all the entrance and exit points of the city.

Meanwhile, the police on Sunday sealed illegal cattle markets and arrested 10 dealers.

DPO Javed Iqbal had imposed section 144 against establishment of illegal markets, especially along roads, as such places cause rush, traffic jams and pollution.

Assistant commissioner Furqan Ashraf along with DSPs Sabonar Shah and Bashir Dad visited the city areas and rounded up 10 merchants for holding illegal markets along roads

RECONCILIATORY MEETING: The Jamaat-i-Islami has convened a reconciliatory meeting on July 29, inviting former MPs, nazims, councillors, former army officials and bureaucrats on the issue of denial of oil and gas bonus funds to the deserving areas and employment to local youths in the exploration companies.

Former MPA Iqbal Din Fana told Dawn that according to the OGDCL formula of 2009 the bonus funds had to be spent in production/concessional areas.

He recalled that in 2013 a bonus fund of Rs130 million was paid by the OGDCL, but MNA Sheharyar Afridi and the deputy commissioner spent it outside the production areas.

He said the July 29 meeting had been convened to ensure that the freshly-released bonus fund of Rs70.2 million was utilised in the production areas.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2020