Official enlists efforts for crime control & public safety

KOHAT: Regional Police Officer (RPO), Kohat Range, Abbas Majeed Khan Marwat, has said that the Kohat Police had progressed in crime control and public safety over the past quarter.

Talking to reporters here, he said that the force undertook a series of operations from December 2024 to March 2025.He said that many terrorists were killed and arrested in Kohat Region while explosives and weapons were recovered.

The RPO said that a total of 1,082 first information reports (FIRs) were registered in connection with illegal arms, leading to the arrest of 1,094 people.The police, he said, had recovered a substantial cache of weapons, including 113 Kalashnikov rifles, 13 Kalakov rifles, 36 rifles, 117 shotguns, 1,067 pistols and revolvers, as well as 20,860 rounds of ammunition, 1,353 magazines, and 7 hand grenades.

Efforts to dismantle drug networks led to the registration of 311 FIRs and the arrest of 330 suspects, he said, adding that seized narcotics included 275.156 kilograms of hashish, 29.652 kilograms of methamphetamine, 200 grams of heroin, and 10 bottles of liquor.

The RPO said the Kohat Police arrested 413 proclaimed offenders (POs), many of whom were wanted for serious crimes and had been evading law enforcement for extended periods.He said that the police registered 190 FIRs related to aerial firing incidents, arresting 210 individuals and recovering 11 sub-machine guns (SMGs), 2 Kalakovs, 102 pistols, one shotgun, 1,441 rounds, 102 magazines, and 50 firecrackers.

The RPO said that 79 people were arrested on charges of festive firing during a crackdown on Chand Raat while 66 FIRs were lodged. He said that one Kalakov, 46 pistols, 410 rounds, and 39 magazines were also seized during the action.

In five police encounters, four criminals were neutralised while one proclaimed offender

was arrested in an injured condition, he said.The official added that the police recovered four SMGs, three pistols, 188 rounds of ammunition, five magazines, and four hand grenades. The suspects were wanted in cases involving murder, terrorism, narcotics, and organized crime, he added.

Marwat said that the police carried out 210 search and strike operations, during which 2,158 suspects were interrogated. The seized weapons included 553 pistols, 11,526 rounds, and other prohibited materials, he said.

The RPO said that 522 snap-checking were conducted, during which 1,679 people were searched while 403 pistols, 484 magazines, and 7,765 rounds were recovered.He said that the police registered 22 FIRs, arrested 49 suspects, and recovered stolen valuables worth Rs1.815 million.

He said that Public Liaison Councils (PLCs) had been established at every police station to resolve minor disputes through community involvement, enhancing trust between police and citizens.

Security at 14 police installations, including stations and offices, had been upgraded, he further said.The RPO said that the measures included raising boundary walls, construction of watchtowers, installation of CCTV cameras, thermal guns, night vision devices, and the installation of barbed wire.