QUETTA, Jan 23: Police on Wednesday defused an anti-tank mine near police residential quarters on the outskirts of Khuzdar, averting a major tragedy.

DIG Khuzdar Range Fasihuddin said unidentified men had planted the mine in the Khatan area to blow up the police quarters. After receiving a tip-off, he said, the police and bomb disposal squad defused the mine containing 18kg of explosives. No arrest was reported and security beefed up in and around Khuzdar town.

The DIG said measures were being taken to improve law and order situation in Khuzdar, Kalat, Mastung, Lasbela and Awaran districts. “People will soon witness a pleasant change.”

He said the police and Levies had raided various places and freed several people who had been kidnapped for ransom.

He said the Khuzdar police department was facing a shortage of manpower as over 400 posts of policemen were lying vacant. Recruitment process would start soon and educated youths would be give priority, he added.

The DG said that in Balochistan it was not clear under which law police worked, adding such situation had created confusion and affected investigation, prosecution and intelligence systems of the department.

“The concept of accountability has ended in police force. Corruption prevails in the police training academy,” he said. However, he added, efforts were under way to improve the situation.