PESHAWAR: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO Peshawar Dr Mian Saeed Ahmad on Thursday said four gangs, allegedly involved in land grabbing and targeted attacks, were neutralized, adding that many other gang members, who have left the country, will be brought back through Interpol.

He said that with support from the provincial police chief, massive drive was underway since last four months against all those involved in criminal activities, while some of the gang members had left for other cities, many having escaped abroad.

He said this while addressing media persons during his visit to the Peshawar Press Club.

The CCPO told media persons that apart from taking action against criminals, the department carried out forensic of the cell phones of the gang members neutralised and found that some police personnel had been in contact with those elements.

He said that 16 SHOs were suspended, services of 24 police personnel including SHOs were terminated while 436 police personnel were put on notice to explain their position.

The CCPO said that apart from controlling local crime, Peshawar police was fighting on the frontline against militancy.

Some senior police officials informed that a survey was carried out and the department collected information on 11 groups involved in land grabbing, target killing, targeted attacks on police, extortion and other crimes, adding that the group members were influential enough, therefore, not be challenged in the past.

They said that the Peshawar police launched a massive crackdown and gunned down 11 members of four major groups involved in criminal activities with several cases registered against them.

“They were asked to surrender but all of them refused,” the official informed, adding that they were traced and were ultimately gunned down in cross fire with police teams.

The official stated that the first encounter with wanted criminals took place in Punjab where three persons including a wanted criminal Adam Khan alias Adamay was killed in an encounter with police in Kohistan Colony of Wah Cantonment.

He said that Adam Khan was wanted in 13 criminal cases including murder, attempted murder, abduction and terrorism and was hiding in Kohistan Colony.

Twenty five days later, another gang was targeted at two different locations in the province with one in Shangla district and the other in the provincial capital, both at the same time in a pre-dawn raid.

“Three brothers including Lal Sher, Jan Sher and Ramzan Sher, wanted in attacks on police, murder and land grabbing,” got killed in police encounter.

In another action against alleged land grabbers wanted by police in several other cases including attacks on police and target killing, five persons including the group leader Najmul Hasan alias Peenay were killed in Daudzai area of the provincial capital who, the police said, were members of Lal Sher group.

Published in Dawn, January 9th, 2026