MARDAN, Oct 25: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has appreciated the services of police against terrorism, saying they rendered matchless sacrifices to protect the people’s life and property.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 80-bedded modern casualty block at the District Headquarters Hospital here the other day.

The chief minister said the casualty block had been built at the cost of Rs152.2 million ahead of schedule i.e. March 2013.

He said policemen had been bravely fighting militants and terrorists to maintain law and order in the province.

He said in recognition of police’s sacrifices against terrorism, the government had increased the ‘Shuhada Package’ money for those who laid down life fighting terrorists besides offering jobs to their children.

The chief minister said he would appreciate good performance of police but in case of dereliction of duty, strict action would be taken against them.

He asked the deputy inspector general of police, Mardan to replace all traffic personnel in the region with ‘honest and dutiful’ officials for the road users’ service.

Mr Hoti said Mardan had been denied due rights for 60 years and his government was trying to give the same to the local residents by launching mega development projects.

He said the old building of District Headquarters Hospital, Mardan would be demolished and a modern building would be put in place in three phases for better patient care.

The chief minister said the new building would have modern labour rooms, children and women wards, ICU and CCU wards, while DHQ and gynaecology hospital located on the other side of the road would be connected by an overhead bridge for the comfort of visitors.

He said the government would try to resolve shortage of doctors and nursing staff at the hospital.