MARDAN: The mayor of Mardan, Advocate Himayatullah Mayar, has asked district police officer to take action against people carrying unauthorised arms and wearing uniforms resembling that of armed forces, paramilitary forces and police.

“In continuation of this office letter No.176 dated 18.10.2022 on the above noted subject (copy attached), it is again brought into your kind notice that it is witnessed in routine life at all places and gathering, it becoming a fashion that land mafia, Sood Khoor, drug peddlers and gangsters and others are exhibiting authorised and unauthorised weapons or having security guards clad in unauthorised uniforms like that of law enforcement agencies,” he said in a letter sent to the DPO.

The mayor said that those people were involved in land grabbing, usury, narcotics and other illegal business. He added that they posed important people.

He that there were also some Jihadi centres in Mardan city and persons affiliated with them were roaming armed in the streets and markets without any check. He said that those armed persons and groups were open threats to peaceful environment of Mardan.

Mr Mayar said that on one hand such people were challenging writ of state and on the other they were motivating youth to join them or organise their own armed groups.

“Therefore, it is once again requested that strict legal action might please be taken against those groups and persons in the larger interest of the peaceful citizens,” he said in the letter.

The mayor said that he sent copies of the letter to secretary of home department, provincial police chief, and Mardan deputy inspector general of police so that the matter could be taken seriously.

Relevant police officials confirmed to this scribe that they had received a copy of the letter when Dawn contacted them in this connection. They said that authorities concerned were taking serious and effective measures to resolve the matter appropriately.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2024