PESHAWAR: Apart from going after criminals and terrorists to maintain law and order in the province, the new inspector general of police (IGP) is facing more challenges after laying hands on the mafias, especially those involved in drug business and land grabbing.
The new police chief, Moazzam Jah Ansari, is facing the challenge to stop or at least reduce the number of people being killed in hundreds of blood feuds across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The new KP Police chief assumed the charge of his office over a week ago, replacing Sanaullah Abbasi. He has already served as IGP Balochistan as well as commandant of the paramilitary Frontier Constabulary. He is familiar with the local challenges as he has been stationed in Peshawar for the last three years as Commandant FC.
Apart from street crimes, there were incidents of terrorism and extortion reported from parts of the province in the last few months. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police have to be alert to foil any untoward incident and ensure better law and order in the province in the coming months.
The installation of closed-circuit television cameras will keep a check on the crime and terrorism, at least in the urban areas. Besides, the Special Branch and the regular force need to keep an eye on various criminal groups to ensure improved law and order.
The strengthening of the police force in the newly merged districts to improve law and order in erstwhile Fata is another tough task for the new administration.
Before Moazzam Jah Ansari, Dr Sanaullah Abbasi, Mohammad Tahir, Salahuddin Khan Mahsud and Dr Mohammad Naeem Khan had to face tough resistance while introducing a police system in the newly merged districts similar to the one in the rest of the districts of KP.
The new IGP has already ordered an accelerated campaign against the mafias. The force has launched an aggressive campaign against groups involved in selling ice (Methamphetamine) and other drugs, land grabbing and extortion.
The police chief has sent letters to all the regional and district police heads to keep the Central Police Office updated about the progress during operations against the mafia. All have been ordered to go after those who spread terror among the public by brandishing guns in escort cars and are involved in land grabbing, usury and other white-collar crimes.
Some of the officers in the field, however, instead of going after the big fish and criminal elements, started arresting even those who carry one licensed gun due to security reasons only to increase the number of detained people.
Operations against various mafias need to be accelerated to take action against those who pose a threat to hundreds of families in urban, suburban and rural areas of the province. Most of these land mafias are the new-rich of the country who have earned multi-millions through white-collar crimes over the last few years.
Some of the members of land mafias and motorcar bargain centres are also earning millions through usury from the people who need urgent money and will have to return manifold.
A tougher challenge is to stop the flow of drugs from some of the erstwhile tribal areas where drug sellers are said to have dens and smuggle ice, heroin and hashish from there to down country. Tens of thousands of people are using drugs that later ruin their lives. More drugs, especially ice, are available in the vicinity of hostels and educational institutions targeting the new generation.
Posting on merit in regions, districts and in the field, taking stern action against the corrupt officials and rewarding those performing well will also improve the performance of the force that has sacrificed the most in recent years.
The new police chief has already ordered documenting all the blood feuds as well as the disputes that are potential threat to law and order and claim lives. The SHOs and DSPs have been directed to involve the local elders as well as Dispute Resolution Councils (DRCs) to settle various disputes and blood feuds.
Some of the enmities have claimed dozens of lives from both sides and passers-by in the last many years and there seems no end to it.
Moazzam Jah Ansari can play an important role in strengthening the DRCs and remove the technical hurdles so it can be approached easily to settle hundreds of blood feuds and enmities across the province that are claiming lives almost every day.
These bodies should be strengthened ny adding more and active people of good reputation who have no criminal record and have a say in the society. The DRC members who are not active or who are misusing the bodies for personal gains also need to be replaced with better ones.
