admin 
PESHAWAR, (MANEND NEWS): Regional Police Officer (RPO) of Malakand Sajjad Khan said on Tuesday more policemen in the Malakand division have been imparted training to use heavy weapons as well as thermal imaging devices to better deal with any terrorist activity and ensure peace during the coming tourist season in summer.
Last year, a lawmaker from Lower Dir was injured in an attack while four people, including his brother and nephew, were killed.
Later, chairman of a village defence committee was killed in Swat while a few other major incidents were reported as well.
Thousands of people in Swat and Lower Dir thad taken to the streets to demand peace in the division that remained volatile for years in the past.
“A number of actions have been taken by the security forces and police in Malakand to improve the law and order and ensure peace in the division that attracts millions of tourists every year. Apart from a number of intelligence-based operations, we adopted an ambush strategy to counter militant attacks,” Sajjad Khan, told this correspondent, adding police were trained in using heavy weapons as well as thermal imaging devices.
“As the recent large-scale casualties of police were due to access of militants to weapons with thermal devices from Afghanistan, police are in the process of providing such devices to the cops in different districts. We started training our troops in all districts in this area with active support from the army,” he added.
The RPO said more policemen have been imparted training in bomb disposal techniques. Besides, he added, police personnel, especially drivers, were trained in first aid as most of the casualties happened due to excessive bleeding during shifting the wounded cops to the hospital for not receiving first aid. The official said as we approached the public to bridge the people-police gap, we revamped our district security branch to improve the intelligence collection system against militants and criminals.
He added public was found extremely supportive of all these actions this time unlike in 2008-09. The RPO said the measures taken by Malakand Police were also acknowledged by the Senate of Pakistan’s Standing Committee on Law and Order through a letter.
“A series of events were arranged successfully in coordination with the administration to promote tourism and encourage people to visit Malakand after a few untoward incidents. Jashn-e-Swat at Fizagat, Ski Tournaments at Malam Jabba, Chaumas Festival at Chitral and Sports Tournament in Bajaur were some of the major events due to which the flow of tourists recorded an increase from November last year till February,” said Sajjad Khan.
He said the Police Welfare Hospital was set up for cops recently at the Swat Police Lines with the support of the local doctors.