PESHAWAR: The business community of Peshawar on Wednesday paid homage to the sacrifices rendered by the police personnel for restoration of peace and said that the investors who had left the province due to lawlessness were now returning to restart their businesses.

Leaders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry said this while speaking at a ceremony held at the chamber to acknowledge the efforts of KP police and commemorate the sacrifices rendered by the police personnel during the past several years in the ñght against terrorism.

IGP Nasir Khan Durrani was the chief guest at the ceremony. Representatives of the traders and industries participated in the function.

Expressing the sentiments of traders and members of the chamber, KPCCI president Fuad Ishaq said, `We congratulate IGP Nasir Durrani on his efforts for revolutionising the police on modern lines.

Zahid Shinwari and Sharafat Ali Mubaral<, former presidents of the chamber, also addressed the gathering and paid tribute to the police sacrifices.

KPCCI vice-president Iqbal Khan Afridi, CCPO Peshawar Mubarak Zeb and representatives of traders` organisations participated in the function.

They lauded the initiatives adopted by the KP police for reducing the public-police trust deficit. In this regard, they mentioned the establishment of police assistance lines, dispute resolution councils, police access system and reporting rooms.

They said that owing to these initiatives relations among police, traders and people had improved, contributing to improvement in the law and order situation.

The business community praised the KP police for providing them an atmosphere conducive to pursuing and promoting business activities in Peshawar city.

They said that the traders and industrialists who had withdrawn their investment from the KP and migrated to other provinces had now started returning to the province.

On this occasion, Mr Durrani thanked the business community for reposing trust in the police and extending support in maintaining law and order situation.

He said that the province was rich with human resource, which needed to be channelized in a right direction.

Shields and souvenirs were also presented to the families of the police martyrs.

The chamber`s president presented a souvenir to the IGP in recognition of the services of the KP police.