PESHAWAR, Jan 23: The newly-established Quick Response Force (QRF) of the Frontier Constabulary will assist police in maintaining law and order during Muharram in Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank.

This was said by Frontier Constabulary commandant Malik Naveed at a press conference at the FC headquarters here on Tuesday.

He pointed out that a special committee of Frontier Constabulary officials had selected 203 personnel for the QRF from the 19,000-member FC force, who had arrived in Peshawar after completing training in the Elite Training School in Karachi. The strength of the force would be raised to 450 after approval from the government, he added.

He said 15 personnel were being trained by foreign experts for crisis response and VVIP protection.

He said the force was trained for taking action against kidnappers and other anti-social elements.

He said the main duty of the force was to quickly conduct operations along with police against terrorists and anti-social elements in the province.

The force, he said, had already conducted successful operations against outlaws in Peshawar.

Mr Naveed said the force would also be given training in VVIP protection and bomb defusing so that it could respond quickly to any emergency.

He said the force was equipped with latest weaponry and armoured vehicles with special guns which could hit the target within 1000 yards.

He said a committee had selected for the force a uniform and bullet-proof jackets made in Peshawar. He said the head of the FC, Hayatabad, was tasked to prepare a command structure for the force and constitute its platoons.

Answering a question, he said 44 of 50 FC platoons had returned to the NWFP, due to which the law and order situation in the province, especially Tank and Bannu, had improved. He said the federal government had sanctioned 50 additional platoons.

Mr Naveed said the FC was basically responsible for maintaining law and order and keeping vigilance in border areas between tribal and settled regions, but it was now also assisting police in maintaining law and order in other parts of the province.

He said the Frontier Constabulary had been given its share in foreign aid for paramilitary forces.

Mr Naveed said multinational companies were demanding the services of the FC for security, which was a burden on the force. However, he added, the force was planning to recruit retired personnel of the FC for providing services to private companies.