MANSEHRA: DIG, Hazara Range Akhtar Hayat Khan Gandapur has complained of shortage of personnel in police and urged local lawmakers to play an active role in addressing the problem.

`I appreciate your hard work and dedication to the profession. Despite being overburdened due to shortage of staff, you`ve worked very hard to check crime in the division,` Mr Gandapur told policemen at a `darbar` here the other day.

Police officers and SHOs were also present on the occasion. The DIG said local lawmakers should work for induction of more police personnel in the division.

`There are more than 20,000 police personnel for six districts of Malakand division, while seven districts of Hazara division have 5,200 policemen only,` he said.

Mr Gandapur said crime rate in the division was lower than other divisions of the province and it had happened only due to the police`s good performance.

`Though I appreciate your (policemen) performance, Iwarn the black sheep in the department to mend their ways and otherwise strict legal action will be taken against them,` he said.

The DIG said police stations in Hazara were being computerised to improve their performance.

`It is high time that we end typical police (thana) culture in the division,` he said.

Mr Gandapur said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police had rendered great sacrifices to protect the lives of the people and that spirit could stay for the rule of law.

He said police didn`t face political interference in their affairs anymore and that all promotions and appointments in the department were being made on merit.

`Political interference in police has come to end and there is rule of law and merit in the department,` he said asking policemen to come to him through the relevant DPOs for solution of their problems instead of contacting politicians.

He said the time was not far when typical police culture, which had earned a bad name to police, would come to end restoring the people`s confidence in the force.