PESHAWAR, July 12: A new police station has been set up in Regi Lalma area, according to a notification issued by the Capital City Police on Wednesday.

This is the 22nd police station in the Capital City Police area. It will be responsible for maintaining law and order situation and securing public property and lives of people in 30 villages in the suburb of the provincial metropolis, according to sources.

“Regi Lalma is itself a large area.....however, we have got some villages from Nasirbagh and Mathra police stations for new policing zone,” said Station House Office Abdul Hameed Khan.

Regi Lalma is considered to be a notorious locality of Peshawar, where several anti-outlaw operations had been conducted in the past to net proclaimed offenders.

The city police had been planning to set up police station in Regi area for a long time. But due to resistance from the local population, they could not establish even a police post in the area.

Property dispute between the Orakzai family and the Regi villagers had made the area almost a “no-go” zone.

The main reason behind setting up the police station was to make the largest government housing scheme in Peshawar a success, the sources said.

Development work on the Regi Lalma township had been stopped several times in the past.

“Now we are optimistic that the development work on the scheme will continue without any hindrance,” said a senior official.

According to the sources, the Regi Lalma police have got into possession three houses and a hujra of deceased Sanaullah alias Melo, who was killed in police encounter some 15 days ago.

The new police station had no building and temporarily working at the Government High School, said Mr Khan. He had seven platoons of the Frontier Constabulary and 60 policemen had been working under his command.

“We have shifted some policemen and FC personnel to stay at the abandoned house of Sanaullah,” said the SHO. Sanaullah was wanted by the police in several cases of kidnapping for ransom and robbery, the official said.

However, sources said that the two wives and other family members of Sanaullah had left the village after his killing in police encounter.