SWAT: Regional Police Officer Sajjad Khan has urged tourists to visit Swat to enjoy snowfall in the winter as there is complete peace and stability in the entire Malakand division.

Talking to journalists at Swat Press Club here on Monday, he said that police conducted 382 search and 85 intelligence-based operations in the region and interrogated the relatives of terrorists.

“The entire region including Swat is cleared. The valley is completely peaceful. We have arrested eight wanted culprits under 7ATA,” said the RPO. He added that following a tip-off, police nabbed two groups involved in exhortations.

He said that they did not find any terrorist in Swat during search and strike operations. “Swat is the paradise of Asia. It is visited by tourists visit during the summer and winter seasons. Luckily, 2,773 foreign tourists visited Swat during 2022 and 287 of them came here in the month of October,” he said.

The RPO said that police would facilitate tourists everywhere. “They must come here to enjoy the snow-related activities and hospitality of locals,” he said.

He said that police were arresting drug paddlers and dealers. “We will soon hold awareness sessions with students about the negative impacts of drugs,” he said. He added that131 kilograms of hashish, more than two kilograms of heroin, 96 litres of alcohol and more than two kilograms of ice were seized in the region during the month.

He said that illegal weapons including 22 small machine guns, 47 rifles, 252 pistols, 48 other types of weapons and 5,834 cartridges were seized as well as 55 criminals were arrested.

MEETING: A delegation of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) led by programme manager Caroline and deputy head Alberto Groff met Malakand Commissioner Shaukat Ali Yousafzai here on Monday.

The meeting discussed various areas of mutual interest including SDC’s support in post-flood rehabilitation and reconstruction of roads and hotels besides sensitisation of locals on climate change.

The commissioner briefed the delegation about the damage caused by the recent floods in the district. He sought more assistance for the affected areas.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2022