KHYBER: District police officer of Khyber tribal district Salim Abbas Kulachi on Thursday terminated six police officials from the service over their links with drug traffickers and theft of seized narcotics.

The removal of former SHO of Jamrud Shamshad Khan, moharrar Akhtar Hussain, additional SHO Khalid Khan, and police personnel Islam Shah, Aziz Khan and Shah Zeb came in light of an official inquiry report, according to a statement issued by the Shah Kas Police Centre in Jamrud.

It added that the police were carrying out the profiling of other officials allegedly involved in similar illegal activities.

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A policy of zero tolerance has been adopted towards the facilitators of drug smugglers in the police force, read the statement.

It added that the inquiry committee recommended the removal of those officials from service after finding “solid evidence’ of their involvement in the theft of confiscated drugs from the store and informing drug smugglers and dealers before police crackdown on them.

They are also found involved in theft of seized narcotics

PRICE CONTROL: The administration of Khyber tribal district has developed a strategy to check the prices of essential commodities, especially food items, during the coming month of Ramazan to the relief of the people.

During the “Meet the Press” programme at the district press club in Landi Kotal on Thursday, additional assistant commissioner Rameez Ali warned that the district administration wouldn’t tolerate the overpricing of essential commodities, especially edibles and beverages, in Ramazan and would establish price control committees in all markets.

He urged traders and shopkeepers to help the administration and price committees provide relief to the people hit by the high inflation rate.

The representatives of traders and shopkeepers insisted that members of their community wouldn’t fleece customers and would help authorities keep the prices of essential commodities under control besides arranging “sasta bazaars” during Ramazan.

They, however, argued that most edibles and other Ramazan-related items were brought in from Peshawar or Punjab, so traders and shopkeepers couldn’t reduce their prices on their own after procuring them at inflated rates.

The official assured them that the issue would be resolved to benefit both shopkeepers and customers.

Meanwhile, the police arrested the suspected killer of a schoolteacher and seized the weapon in Malagori sub-tehsil of Jamrud tehsil hereon Thursday.

They said the suspected killer was the brother of the deceased, Taj Alam, who was killed inside their house on Thursday morning over a domestic issue.

The police said the detainee was shifted to the Jamrud sub-jail after the registration of a murder case.

They added that they had started an investigation into the murder.

Also in the day, Khyber DPO Salim Abbas Kulachi appointed Khyber Bar Association president Abdur Rauf Afridi as a legal adviser to the district police on matters related to the police’s campaign against the smuggling and sale of narcotics.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2024