KOHAT, Oct 15 The authorities have failed to ban sale of military and police uniforms and official badges in the open market in Kohat, which houses the headquarters of army IX division, air force training centre and other important installations.

Dozens of private tailor shops in the city are preparing and selling uniforms and badges as army and air force facilities cannot meet the demand of thousands of soldiers of the IX division, its brigade headquarters in Thall, air base, training centre of PAF technical staff and signal training centre.

After attack on General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, the administration imposed a ban on all private tailor shops sewing uniforms for soldiers and selling badges. But the order has not been implemented fully. Several of these shops are still openly selling uniforms. Some of the tailors have closed their shops but they shifted the stuff to their homes where they can continue their business. The army and police have not seized the already tailored uniforms, badges and thousands of metres of clothes used in sewing uniforms.

It would be pertinent to mention here that IX division was the first to be engaged in operation against Al Qaeda in South Waziristan Agency, Frontier Region of Kohat and other sensitive areas. During the last three years, 13 suicide attacks were reported in Kohat division including its Frontier Region and Orakzai Agency.

Apart from it, hundreds of rocket attacks had been made at air base and other areas in Kohat.

Suicide bombers had targeted army's Pathan Centre, cadets of the I-training battalion, the two camps of army and Frontier Corps in Darra Adamkhel --one close to Kohat tunnel and other at Spina Thana -- army convoys in Darra, Kohat, Hangu and Thall. Two pro-government jirgas of tribal elders had also been targeted in Darra Adamkhel and Orakzai Agency in which more than 200 people were killed.

An attempt was also made to kill the GOC but the time devices exploded prematurely near his official residence in which a young assistant director of Intelligence Bureau and an inspector were killed.

According to sources heavy arms, drugs and money are being smuggled from Kurram and Orakzai agencies to Darra Adamkhel bazaar. The authorities had been unable to check the unabated flow of arms and ammunition to down country from Darra Adamkhel in large quantity.

A senior military official, when contacted, said that they had allowed the arms businesses in the area to keep an eye on the movement and plans of terrorists.

“We have informers, who tell us that Mr so and so has purchased weapons in bulk which are not meant for hunting but made for war. So we pass on the information to police and they are apprehended in Kohat, Bannu and at other checkposts on Indus Highway,” he added.

But sources claimed that only two per cent of those consignments were seized and the rest reached their destinations in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Mianwali with the connivance of customs and police.