PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Friday decided to provide all required financial resources to the police department on priority basis to effectively tackle the situation arising from the security crisis in Afghanistan.

The decision was made during a special cabinet meeting called to discuss the overall security situation in the province in the backdrop of Wednesday’s Dasu incident in which 13 people, including nine Chinese workers, were killed.

It was the second such meeting since July 6.

A statement issued here said Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired the meeting, which was also attended by the provincial ministers, chief secretary Dr Kazim Niaz, inspector general of police Moazaam Jah Ansari, regional police officers, divisional commissioners and other relevant officials.

Cabinet discusses law and order in province in light of Afghan security crisis

The participants reviewed the overall law and order situation of the province in the context of the emerging security situation across the western border.

According to the statement, the cabinet discussed the expected impacts of the evolving Afghan situation on the province threadbare and the strategy to effectively deal with it.

The high-ups of the provincial police department briefed the meeting about the prevailing law and order situation in the province, challenges likely to emerge in the days ahead as well as preparations, arrangements and requirements of the police department to effectively deal with them all.

“In order to further strengthen the provincial police to enable it to effectively deal with any untoward situation, the provincial cabinet decided to provide all the financial resources to the police on priority basis and urged upon the police to effectively and judiciously use its existing resources,” the statement read.

The cabinet directed the divisional commissioners and regional police officers across the province to improve the overall policing system at grassroots level, keep a vigilant eye on anti-social elements and prepare an effective strategy to maintain law and order in their respective regions.

The cabinet also directed the police department to immediately begin recruitment of employees to fill all vacant posts and fix priorities for the procurement of the required equipment as well.

Paying tribute to the police for rendering sacrifices to maintain peace in the province, the cabinet said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had shown an outstanding performance in difficult situations in the past.

It expressed the hope that the provincial police would come up to the expectations of the people of the province in future as well.

Addressing participants, the chief minister expressed satisfaction with the preparations of the police department for dealing with any untoward situation and said all needs of the police department would be fulfilled on priority basis to further strengthen it.

He said maintaining peace and tranquility in the province was the first and foremost responsibility of the provincial government, which wouldn’t be compromised at any cost.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2021