KOHAT: A contingency plan has been devised for the protection of churches on Christmas.

DSP Sadaat Khan told a meeting of priests and elders on Tuesday that a three-layered security would be provided to the churches to ensure smooth holding of the Christmas-related functions.

PROTEST: Residents of Jawaki Banda area on Tuesday blocked the busy Hangu-Parachinar Road in Muhammadzai to demand the early arrest of attackers, who killed a person and injured two others.

The road blockage troubled the commuters as long queues of vehicles were formed on both sides of the artery.

The protesters dispersed after two hours when they were assured by the police that the attackers would be arrested soon.

DSP Sadaat Khan met the protesters and informed them that one of the accused, namely Majid, had obtained bail before arrest, while the police were conducting raids for arrest of the others.

BAN: The police have banned vehicles with tinted glass and display of licensed weapons keeping in view the terror threat.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, district police officer Abdur Rauf Qaisrani has ordered deployment of personnel of Quick Response, Rapid Response and Elite Force at all the entry and exit points of the district for carrying out snap checking. Meanwhile, the police arrested four proclaimed offenders, their five facilitators and three drug peddlers during an operation.

The police also recovered three 12-bore repeaters, three Kalashnikovs, a kalakov, 15 pistols, and nine kilogrammes of hashish from them.

Separately, a jirga of elders and residents of Razgir Banda area has denounced the construction of barricades on a canal by a local cement company, preventing farmers from watering their fields.

Speaking at the jirga held here on Tuesday, Malik Gul Zaman, a local elder, also complained that the cement company was occupying their lands.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2022