Pakistan: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM voices concern on targeted killing of policemen

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 23 (ANI): Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday raised his concern over the targeted killings of police in the province and called for a 'workable' plan to check those attacks.
While chairing a meeting in Peshawar regarding law and order, Khan reviewed the security situation in the province with a special focus on the spike in targeted killings of police personnel.
In the meeting, the participants also reviewed the situation and took decisions to devise strategies to prevent such incidents.
Special assistant to the Chief Minister Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, provincial police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari, principal secretary to the CM Amjad Ali Khan and other senior police officials also attended the meeting.
The Chief Minister said that peace was indispensable for the development and prosperity of the province.
"Maintaining law and order is the first priority of my government. We will make no compromise on law and order," he said.
According to the publication, Khan directed the relevant authorities to the result-oriented efforts to stop the targeted killing of policemen and said all authorities of police should sit together and come up with a comprehensive and workable action plan for the purpose.
He said such killings couldn't be tolerated anymore and the morale of police officials performing their duties in the field at all costs.
Khan paid tribute to the police personnel over their loss of lives for peace and said the people and government of the province were proud of them.
"Police personnel are facing the situation with great bravery and dedication," he said.
Looking at the rising incidents of attacks on police, Pakistani authorities earlier strengthened security at all check-posts and relieved the personnel responsible for security lapses.
The police personnel posted at the check post in Arjali Nadi, where a policeman and a substitute were killed in an attack on July 16, were transferred to remote Tirah valley for negligence, according to the Dawn citing a statement issued by a district police officer in Jamrud.
The statement said that DPO Mohammad Imran, along with other security officials, visited different checkpoints in Bara and issued instructions to the policemen. He also checked the security measures at these buildings.
The policemen on duty were ordered to stay alert and wear both helmets and bulletproof jackets during duty timings.
They were also warned against the use of mobile phones during duty timings, Dawn reported.
Meanwhile, Peshawar Capital City Police Chief Ejaz Khan expressed displeasure over the rising incidents of terrorism in Khyber and the killing of a number of policemen in the attacks.
At least four policemen lost their lives and two more were injured in such attacks during the last three to four months. A checkpoint in Tirah was also attacked with a hand grenade a week ago. (ANI)