QUETTA: The provincial government has set up a new force for conducting operations against elements involved in cases of terrorism, target killing and kidnapping for ransom.

“The special force will initially comprise 300 personnel,” provincial home secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani said while presiding over a meeting of the divisional commissioners and senior officials here on Tuesday.

Finance secretary Dosteen Khan Jamaldani and director general of the Levies Force Balochistan Abdul Latif Kakar also attended the meeting.

Mr Durrani said the force would help stop terrorist activities, target killings and kidnapping for ransom in the province.

He said the government had also decided to organise Levies Force on modern lines and its personnel would be given special training and equipped with latest weapons to fight terrorists and other criminals in a better way.

“The government is ready to face challenges of terrorism and law and order situation in the province,” the home secretary said, adding that the police and Levies Force had been given a free hand to rid the province of terrorism and to ensure peace and security in the province.

“Police and Levies have been directed to work freely without coming under any pressure from any political party or tribal personality,” Mr Durrani said, adding that no-one was above the law and any person, however influential, if found involved in criminal activities and acts of terrorism would be taken to task.

He directed all divisional commissioners to purchase new vehicles for the Levies Force to make it more effective against terrorists. He said that training centres would be set up in all divisions for Levies Force and its investigation system would also be made more effective.

He said that terrorists and other criminals were well-trained and they were equipped with latest technology and the government would also equip its police and Levies Force with latest technology and weapons so that they could fight these elements in a better way.

He said that restoring the confidence of the people on law-enforcement agencies of the province was the top priority of the provincial government.