DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker Chief Minister Justice retired Syed Arshad Hussain Shah on Monday was briefed on the security arrangements put in place to ensure peaceful conduct of the Thursday’s elections.

The briefing was held during a high-level meeting the chief minister chaired at the command and control centre at the Ejaz Shaheed Police Lines here.

Chief secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan were also in attendance.

Regional police officer, Dera, Nasir Satti briefed the meeting about the terrorist attack on Chaudhwan police station in the wee hours on Monday, and the security arrangements made for the Feb 8 elections.

Ten policemen were martyred and six others were injured in the attack.

The caretaker chief minister said peaceful conduct of the elections was a top priority of the civil administration and police. “All the available resources would be utilised for the purpose,” he added.

Earlier, the chief minister accompanied by other high officials, including chief secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry and IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan attended the funeral prayers of the martyred policemen at the Ejaz Shaheed Police Lines.

Dera RPO Nasir Mehmood Satti, commissioner Zafarul Islam, Dera deputy commissioner Mansoor Arshad and DPO Abdul Rauf Babar Qaisrani also attended the funeral prayers.

Speaking on this occasion, Justice Arshad Hussain said cowardly acts of terrorism couldn’t dent the resolve of the law enforcement agencies’ personnel in eliminating the menace once and for all. He said: “Our morale will not be weakened by such cowardly acts of terrorists.

“Our soldiers have always bravely fought and repelled terrorist attacks.”

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Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2024