Eid security plan finalized for Peshawar

Express Tribune

30-03-2025

The Capital City Police Peshawar has finalized a special security plan to maintain law and order during Eidul Fitr.
Under the plan, 3,500 police officers and personnel will be deployed across the city to ensure public safety.
All police leaves have been cancelled and patrols by rider squads and mobile units have been increased, said an official press statement issued on Saturday.
Security at all entry and exit points of the city has been tightened, with additional personnel stationed in key markets and on major roads.
To monitor suspicious individuals, plainclothes officers have also been deployed. Sensitive locations and government buildings are receiving heightened security, including the deployment of female police officers and mounted police in busy market areas.
According to the security plan, security has been placed on high alert at Eid prayer grounds, sensitive mosques, major markets, and entry points of the city. Enhanced patrolling by armoured police vehicles, the Special Combat Unit, the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU), and sniffer dog teams will also be in place.
BDU teams will conduct sweeps at key Eid prayer sites before prayers commence.
Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Peshawar Qasim Ali Khan and Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Operations Masood Ahmed have instructed divisional Superintendents Police (SPs) to take strict action against aerial firing on Chand Raat, emphasizing cooperation with local religious scholars and community leaders to raise awareness against the practice.
They have also issued directives to ensure strict implementation of the security plan across all divisions.
During Eid holidays, security will remain on high alert at recreational spots, important offices, markets, bus stands, and all city entry and exit points to maintain peace and order.
Meanwhile, in the early hours of March 29, a counter-terrorism operation was conducted in the remote hilltop area of Katlang, Mardan district, based on credible intelligence regarding the presence of armed militants using the location as a hideout and transit point, says a press statement by Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information.
He said that the operation successfully neutralized several high-value targets linked to ongoing militant activities in the region.
Unfortunately, he said, subsequent reports had confirmed the presence of non-combatants, including women and children, at the periphery of the target zone, resulting in tragic civilian casualties which he termed an immensely painful and regrettable development.
He said every effort was made during such operations to avoid collateral damage but the complex terrain, the deliberate tactics of militants to embed within civilian populations, and the fog of war could sometimes lead to unintended consequences.