KOHAT, Aug 26: The deputy inspector-general, Kohat region, Ghulam Mohammad, has expressed concern over the presence of a large number of proclaimed offenders in the four southern tribal agencies and as many in the frontier regions, blaming the concerned authorities for ignoring repeated warnings in this regard.

Terming the presence of fugitives in such a large number in the surroundings of the five districts of the Kohat region as permanent nuisance for the people and the law enforcement agencies, he ordered the five district police chiefs to continue the ongoing weapons recovery campaign and arrest the proclaimed offenders.

The DIG, Ghulam Mohammad, asked the police officers to be vigilant in the wake of terrorist attacks and conduct targeted raids on the suspicious houses where most of the 1,700 proclaimed offenders wanted in heinous crimes were hiding.

The police chiefs of Hangu, Karak, Bannu and Lakki Marwat of Kohat region, who attended the meeting, briefed the DIG about the latest in their areas, specially the security arrangements for the forthcoming elections. Ghulam Mohammad, later at a news conference, on Monday, briefed the journalists about the problems being faced by the police due to shortage of funds, and results of the 15-day special drive against anti-social elements and illegal weapons in the five districts under his command.

He said the number of police stations in the five districts was the same as in 1947 which now needed to be increased.

The number of police stations in Kohat, which spreads over an area of 550 square kilometres is still four since 1931.

He said that during the recent visit of the NWFP governor, Lt-Gen Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah he had informed him about the pathetic conditions in which the police was working in highly sensitive areas. The governor promised to immediately sanction a new police station at Togh Sarai in the Hangu district for the time being, he added.

He disclosed that his five districts shared long borders with the four tribal agencies and as much frontier regions which were teaming with proclaimed offenders.

He had forwarded a list of 1,700 most-wanted criminals to the administrations of the tribal territory and now it was up to them to arrest and hand them over to the police. It would also release the burden on the courts.

He said that Kohat, Bannu and Lakki Marwat police also recovered 26 stolen and non-custom paid cars, two Pajeros, three motorcycles and trucks each worth Rs16 million during the 15-day special campaign.

The other recoveries in five districts are: 71 Kalashnikov and 10 Kalakov rifles, one light machinegun, 34 rifles, 80 shotguns, 132 pistols, 7,595 cartridges, 13 hand-grenades, 11 dynamites, four landmines, four mortars, 346 chargers, and fake currency worth Rs119,470.

The Bannu, Kohat, Hangu, Karak and Lakki Marwat police arrested 114, 39, 22, 65 and 119 proclaimed offenders respectively, whereas, six were killed in different encounters.