Mianwali:
With the growing security concerns in the border regions of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the authorities have increased coordination between the two provinces to combat terrorism, smuggling and cross-border criminal activity.
Mianwali, the last Punjab district before the KP border, shares limits with districts such as Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan.
Its strategic and mountain land location have raised challenges for a long time, allowing the outlaws and militants to slide in KP, where they often evade the police jurisdiction of Punjab. Cultural and linguistic ties among Mianwali residents, especially in Tehsil Isa Khel, and the neighboring districts of KP are deeply rooted.
Many families here speak and have ancestral connections on the provincial border, with a significant part of the population that originally migrates from KP.
The recent wave of terrorist incidents in Bannu, Waziristan and Lakki Marwat has had wave effects on Mianwali.
In response, the Local Police intensified operations, according to reports, killing 30 foreign terrorists while tragically lost a police officer in the fulfillment of duty.
Recognizing the critical security situation, the inspector general of the KP Zulfiqar Hameed visited Mianwali and inspected several key control points along the border, including Dara Tang, Qabulwala, Chachali Patrol Post, and the mountainous regions of Makarwal, Mullakhel, Karandi and Baba Khassa Shrine.
These locations are considered high -risk traffic routes for militants and fugitives.
The visit included high -level informative sessions and a security meeting where both provinces discussed strategies to improve cross -border coordination and strengthen joint security measures.
Also present were senior officials, including RPO Kohat Jawad Khan, RPO Bannu Sajad Khan, Dpo de Karak and Lakki Marwat, and officers of the Mianwali Research Unit. In an attempt to restore public confidence, the police have increased visibility in high -risk areas.
RPO Sargodha now visits the border regions twice a week, while Dpo Mianwali makes frequent trips to police stations and advanced positions.
Local tribal elders and community leaders have also been involved through Jirgas, strengthening the ties of the Community Police.
Now a solid patrol system is established, and under the leadership of the Captain of DPO (RETD) RaMal, flag marches have been made to affirm the police presence and deter criminal activity. These efforts have not only reassured local residents, but have also helped create strong social resistance against foreign militants.
According to reports, many retired military residents and peace lovers in these border areas are acting as the first line of defense, rejecting the presence of any external threat.
In a revealing anecdote, a police reader once commented that despite the highly sensitive geographical position of Mianwali, it has remained relatively safe even when terrorism was unbridled in places like Peshawar and Islamabad.
