DPO pledges to resolve traffic congestion issue

MARDAN: Newly posted District Police Officer Najib-ur-Rehman on Monday said that traffic congestion was among the main problems of the Mardan and wanted to have that resolved on a priority basis.

Talking to The News, the DPO said that Mardan is the second biggest district of the province after Peshawar He argued that the main reason for the traffic mess is encroachments and an unlimited number of auto rickshaws. He, however, added that several poor people depended on these rickshaws to earn a livelihood.

He added that several departments’ coordination is required to address the traffic congestion issue and said he would call a joint meeting soon for the purpose. The DPO said the police were performing security duty with the census staff these days and could not be engaged in other tasks such as removing encroachments. The census exercise would be over on April 1 but the polio campaign would start then in the district, he elaborated.

The official added that he had directed the policemen to go after terrorists and criminals but show respect to the general public.“Those not performing well would be proceeded against while those ensuring peace would be duly rewarded,” he said. Earlier, DPO Najib-ur- Rahman met a little girl, Dua Imran, at his office at her request.