PESHAWAR, July 27: NWFP police chief Riffat Pasha has directed all district police officers and deputy inspectors-general of police in the province to remove checkpoints and stop checking in their jurisdiction.

A letter issued by the IG's office on Tuesday stated that no police station should maintain permanent checkpoints or conduct checking anywhere in their jurisdiction without the permission of the district police officer and under the supervision of the sub-divisional police officer concerned.

It said that after abolition of checkpoints by the Central Board of Revenue, various police stations were indulging in unauthorized checking. The practice earned a bad name for the police and should be abandoned immediately, it said.

The IG ordered that checking should only be done for specific purpose in view of specific information. He ordered that during any campaign against criminals, a general holdupin a district should only be done with the permission of the district police officer concerned.