PESHAWAR, Sept 22: The NWFP cabinet has directed district coordination officers (DCOs) of the 24 districts in the province to curb ‘obscenity’, gambling and other anti-social activities.

A handout issued here on Friday said that the cabinet had directed all DCOs to submit a report on law and order situation in their respective areas.

“This is essential to enable the government to have an executive overview of the situation in the province and take prompt measures on pressing problems, especially those having an impact on the province or implications for other provinces and federal government,” it said.

The handout said that ‘anti-obscenity’, anti-social activities and anti-gambling drives were imperative to check unscrupulous elements and to ensure that people conformed with religious, cultural and social norms.

The cabinet decided that DCOs should hold regular meetings with the concerned district law enforcing officers, public representatives and social figures of repute to discuss the issue and implement pragmatic steps in this regard with a time-line.

Furthermore, provincial government in the Home Department has to be informed of the actual progress, in quantified terms, for the appraisal of the chief minister and chief secretary.

The provincial government would assess the performance of the DCOs in this respect and suitably reward and admonish them for their performance, it said.

In a related development, a group of ulema, headed by MPA Zakir Shah, have formed a body in Peshawar under the name of ‘Prevention of Vice and Promotion of Virtue’ to curb obscenity and immorality.

They had demanded of the government to close cinemas, music centres and cable service during Ramazan.