MIANWALI: Police booked 10 people recovering illegal weapons and locally-made liquor from them in an operation that was aimed at netting the militants allegedly taking shelter in the district fearing army operation in North Waziristan.
Most of the other 130 people picked from Kundian, Kacha and city areas during the last two days during the operation were released after verification of their documents.
Police recovered one Kalashnikov, one 7mm rifle, one double-barrel gun, two 30-bore pistols and many cartridges, beside 100 bottles of locally made liquor.Police sources said the operation was launched in the light of intelligence reports that militants were shifting to the district bordering the tribal areas fearing an army crackdown in North Waziristan.
Alerted by these reports, the police patrol around the PAF Base and Mianwali Central Jail has been increased and a sweep and search operation was launched in the adjacent areas to nab militants.
The sources said that according to intelligence reports the militants believed that air strikes in Waziristan were being launched from Mianwali PAF base and some of their accomplices were in the Central Jail.
Sources said that during the last two days city police picked 117 suspects, including 44 Afghan Nationals, 15 residents of North and South Waziristan, six from Sawat, 33 from Bajore agency, four from Quetta and 15 from tribal areas.
They were detained in different police stations for interrogation and most of them were released on Thursday after verification and on personal guarantee.
During operation in Kundian and Kacha area police arrested 13 people, including three Afghan nationals and 10 locals. The Afghans were released after verifications of their papers.
The police sources said the operation would continue in parts of the district, particularly in the areas adjacent to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
There is an Afghan refugee camp at Kot Chandna where more than 20,000 refugees are registered, most of them earning their livelihood by selling vegetables, fruits and popcorns on pushcarts.
Sources said these daily wagers were ‘usual suspects’ during any operation against terrorists.
(Daily Dawn)
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