NOWSHERA, Jan 1: The federal government has launched a countrywide “Sectarian Terrorist Activity Record” programme for collecting data about sectarian and terrorist organizations to weed out terrorism from society.

Under the programme the police department and secret agencies are compiling basic information about militant organizations and individuals in the country.

The NWFP governor, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, said while speaking at the passing-out parade of the 8th Basic Anti- terrorist Course of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at the field training centre, Nowshera on Tuesday.

The ceremony was attended by inspector general police, Mohammad Saeed Khan, IG Frontier Constabulary, Israr Khan Shinwari and senior military and police officials.

“Sectarianism is like cancer and the government is determined to eradicate this curse”, he maintained.

Appreciating the performance of the police department, the governor said that the police would not confine its activities to parade grounds and would have to perform practically. The government, said, was planning to equip the police with modern weapons.

Addressing the parade, IGP, Mohammad Saeed Khan said that the government had introduced Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the early 1980s when Russian forces invaded Afghanistan.

He said that the CID police imparted basic training to Anti-Terrorist Squad; so far 507 Jawans had graduated. He said that the courses included camouflage, volley fire, short range fire, room combat, crevasse, repelling, and heavy weapons fire.

He informed that the department was planning to give anti-terrorist training - to lower and upper subordinates and gazetted officers.

The police chief said that the Frontier police was receiving very positive response to the reforms from the public.

Later the governor took salute and gave away shields to the Jawans.