KOHAT, June 20: The government has finalised a plan for introducing community policing system at the grassroots level to effectively curb terrorism and maintain law and order situation in the district.

The idea had been floated by the previous government to control the abuse of human rights and misuse of authority by the so-called elders of the area with the connivance of the police.

Kohat District Police Officer (DPO) Abdullah Khan told Dawn here on Friday that under the plan a special force would be constituted at the village and town levels, thus helping to remove the widening gulf between the police and the people. He informed that only volunteers would be selected in the first phase and later selection would be made on the basis of quota.

A meeting in this regard was held at the office of the DPO which was attended by all the circle officers, inspectors and SHOs.

The DPO directed all the officers to prepare a list of honest, law-abiding, neutral and people with good family background in every village within one month so that the final approval for the formation of the force could be given. He said that the area in charge of the police would recommend the names of the members of the special force.

The duties of the community police would be to maintain peace, control crimes, identify criminals, check terrorism and inform the law-enforcement departments about the presence of any foreigners in their area.

The head of the special force would present a report on quarterly basis for bringing more improvement in the new system. He would be issued a special identity card and allowed to keep a gun with him.

Meanwhile, suspected Taliban militants on Friday snatched arms at gunpoint from two policemen guarding a bank at Mohammad Khwaja town, on the outskirts of the Hangu district, police said.

According to an eyewitness, militants boarding a vehicle came to a National Bank branch located in the area and overpowered two constables Irfan Afridi and Siddique, who were on guard duty there. A guard initially tried to stop the advance of the Taliban vehicle by firing shots at it with his gun but could not stop it and had to flee after throwing his gun.