Cleaning up: Nearly 80 arrested during crackdown on city’s outskirts

Pishtakhara and Sarband police officials said the operation was meant to establish the writ of the government.

PESHAWAR:

Seventy-eight people were arrested during an operation by Pishtakhara and Sarband police in the city on Tuesday.

Police officials told The Express Tribune the operation was meant to establish the writ of the government in the areas.



“The operation was conducted in several villages of both police stations, where female police officers and the bomb disposal unit also assisted us,” said a Pishtakhara police official, adding that the suspects had been taken for interrogation and FIRs registered against them. “Those found innocent will be released, while those who have been booked will be produced before the court.

Extortion threats

Gulbahar police registered an FIR against unidentified extortionists who are demanding Rs30 million from the chief executive of Khyber Tea and Food Company and Qaumi Watan Party leader, Jan Alam Paracha.

A police official said Paracha lodged an FIR stating that the extortionists were incessantly calling him to demand payment and threatening him with dire consequences if he did not comply. Paracha was the QWP candidate from NA-1, Peshawar in last year’s general elections.

Stealing hashish

Hayatabad police registered an FIR against ASI Shaukat Kamal and head constable Wisal for stealing confiscated hashish. A police source said they arrested a man with hashish, of which only a fraction was recorded in the FIR, while the rest had been stolen by the accused officials and sold off. During a subsequent enquiry, they were found guilty and an FIR was registered against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27^th, 2014.