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Today's Paper | May 02, 2024

Updated 08 Aug, 2013 08:26am

Police, FC to protect KP prisons

PESHAWAR, Aug 7: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday approved an ‘integrated security plan’ for jails in the province and revitalisation of local police.

According to the plan, police and Frontier Constabulary will jointly ensure foolproof security of jails, while the role of FC will be restricted to its original duties and that its personnel will be given modern training.

The plan was approved during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak here.

It is learned that members of the cabinet called for training and capacity building of both police and jail security staff.

The cabinet decided that FC would be deployed and redeployed on border between settled and tribal areas and that police and FC would be organised as a fighting force to counter terrorism- related activities.

It also decided that weaknesses and deficiencies of police and FC would be removed and that the two forces would be provided with necessary resources.

The cabinet decided that the jail security staff throughout the province would be trained to discharge duty along professional lines.

It regretted the recent jailbreaks in the province and called for measures to prevent such incidents in future.

The participants said police in the province had offered matchless sacrifices in the ‘war against terror’ and would face multifaceted, new challenges in future.

They called for coordination among law-enforcement agencies to fight terrorism and crime.

The participants agreed to raise the police’s strength in the province by providing additional manpower of 10,504 at the cost of Rs1781.685 million.

They also approved the construction of 31 police checkposts in two phases at the cost of Rs800 million. The first phase will cost Rs445 million.

Addressing the cabinet, the chief minister issued directions to the relevant authorities to remove ‘loopholes, weaknesses and deficiencies’ in security plans.

He said police were responsible for protecting public life and property and should provide security to sensitive and important national installations.

The chief minister also ordered better preparedness of police for meeting new challenges and threats to jails.

He also asked law-enforcement agencies to work together for effectively responding to security challenges.

Earlier, the cabinet was briefed on the overall law and order situation in the province.

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