KOHAT, Nov 25: The Kohat police have sent final security plan to the provincial government and the federal interior ministry with a request for deployment of FC personnel for maintaining law and order in the city from 1st to 10th of Muharram. District Police Officer Dilawar Bangash also issued directives on Thursday to the respective police stations to stop the Afghan refugees from entering the city.

Meanwhile, more than 60 motorcyclists were put behind bars for violating ban on pillion riding by the police without making prior announcement on Thursday.

District Coordination Officer Shahidullah Khan had banned on Wednesday gatherings of more than five people and pillion riding besides other restrictions as precautionary measures for maintaining peace during Muharram. However, the police started arresting the motorcyclists who did not know about the ban and send more than 60 of them to the lock-ups of the city, Saddar and Cantonment police stations.

They were released on personnel sureties of their family members in the afternoon and asked to report to the concerned police stations on Friday morning.

The people appealed to the DCO to relax the ban on pillion riding till start of Muharram. They said it would be appropriate to ban the pillion riding when mourning processions were taken out on 7th and 10th of Muharram.

VEGETABLE MARKET: The Kohat administration enforced section 144 banning construction and opening of new fruit and vegetable markets for two months to maintain law and order situation.

A notification issued from the office of the DCO on Thursday said the ban had been imposed to avoid any mishap.

It may be mentioned here that a tussle is going on between the contractor of the district government's new fruit and vegetable market and owner of a private facility for many months.

The private owner has constructed shops and stores but the district government has refused to give permission to the former to open the market and give it on rent.

CIRCUIT BENCH: MPA Syed Qalb-i-Hassan has demanded establishment of a circuit bench of Peshawar High Court in Kohat division keeping in view of the problems faced by the local people as well tribesmen due to closure of Friendship Tunnel and insecure Kohat-Parachinar Highway.

In a statement issued on Thursday the MPA said PHC circuit benches had been established in all other divisions in the southern as well as northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa like Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Hazara and Malakand.

He lamented that due to insecure Kohat-Parachinar highway and closure of Friendship Tunnel between Peshawar and Darra Adamkhel the people belonging to districts of Kohat, Karak and Hangu besides Orakzai Agency had to stay for several days in Peshawar to ensure their appearance in different cases in Peshawar High Court.