Mianwali:
With growing security problems in the border regions of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the authorities increased coordination between the two provinces to fight terrorism, smuggling and cross-border criminal activities.
Mianwali, the last district of Punjab before the KP border, shares the district limits such as Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Kohat and Dera Ismail Khan.
Its strategic location and mountainous land have long posed challenges, allowing outlaws and activists to slip into KP, where they often escape the jurisdiction of the Punjab police. The cultural and linguistic links between the residents of Mianwali – in particular in Tehsil Isa Khel – and the districts neighboring KP are deeply rooted.
Many families here talk about the Pachto and have ancestral ties through the provincial border, with a large part of the population migrating at the origin of KP.
The recent wave of terrorist incidents in Bannu, Waziristan and Lakki Marwat had training effects in Mianwali.
In response, local police intensified operations, killing 30 foreign terrorists while tragically losing a police officer in the exercise of his functions.
Recognizing the critical security situation, the inspector general of the police of KP Zulfiqar Hameed visited Mianwali and inspected several key control points along the border, notably Dara Tang, Qabulwala, Chahali Patrol Post and the mountainous regions of Makarwal, Mullakhel, Karandi and Baba Khassa.
These locations are considered high -risk transit routes for activists and fugitives.
The visit included high -level information sessions and a security meeting where the two provinces discussed strategies to improve cross -border coordination and strengthen joint security measures.
High civil servants, including RPO Kohat Jawad Khan, RPO Bannu Sajjad Khan, DPOs of Karak and Lakki Marwat, and the officers of the Mianwali survey unit. In order to restore public confidence, the police increased visibility in high -risk areas.
The RPO Sargodha is now visiting border regions twice a week, while DPO Mianwali makes frequent trips to police stations and the outposts.
Former local tribals and community leaders were also engaged by Jirgas, strengthening community ties.
A robust patrol system is now in place, and under the direction of DPO Capt (RETD) Rai Ajmal, flag steps have been carried out to assert the police presence and dissuade criminal activity. These efforts have not only reassured local residents, but also helped to create strong social resistance against foreign activists.
Many retired soldiers and peace residents in these border areas would act as the first line of defense, rejecting the presence of external threats.
In a revealing anecdote, a police reader noted that despite the very sensitive geographical position of Mianwali, he remained relatively sure even when terrorism was endemic in places like Peshawar and Islamabad.
