KHYBER: The sudden abolition of certain checkposts on the main Peshawar-Torkham Highway left locals confused as the orders were implemented only a day after a terrorist attack on a police post in Jamrud on January 19.

Capitol City Police Officer Mohammad Ejaz Khan issued verbal orders about the `closure` of some `illegal` checkposts on the main highway, mostly situ-ated in Landi Kotal tehsil, during his meeting with local officials and tribal elders few days ago. The checkposts of Torkham, Michni, Charwazgai and Ziyarrai were immediately abolished after the CCPO orders.

Sources privy to the meeting told this scribe that some elders accused Khyer police of taking bribes from transporters carrying trade goods to Afghanistan via Torkham.

They said that CCPO issued on-the-spot verbal orders about abolition of illegal checkposts and withdrawal of additional policemen from other posts on the highway for their alleged involvement in corruption. He also warned the heads of checkposts of strict action if vehicles carrying trade goods wereunlawfully and unnecessarily stopped by police.

Most of the police checkposts established in Jamrud including Prang Sam, Bhagiyarri and Takhtabeg, however, remained intact though similar allegations were levelled against them.

Sources in local police also told this scribe that majority of the policemen posted at the abolished checkposts had gone home as they could not be immediately posted to other`suitable` posts or locations.

They said that the abrupt closure of the checkposts, especially the withdrawal of the police from Torkhum and Michni, would adversely affect local police as they used to get requiredfundsforfuelfor their official vehicles and their day-to-day expenses from those two important checkpoints.

Many eyebrows were also raised about the timings of implementing such an important decision as the abolition of checkposts was carried out only a day after terrorists attacked Takhtabeg checkpost in Jamrud on Thursday in which two policemen lost their lives while a suicide bomber was also killed.

Many locals attributed the sudden closure of checkposts untimely and a failure of police to secure themselves from terrorist attacks and also to provide security to people.

Officials at Shahkas Police Training Centre were quick to reject all such apprehensions and instead insisted that the morale of police was as high as it was before and they were readyto confront any act of terrorism.

Allegations about involvement of police in seeking bribes from transporters are not new while the abolition of some checkposts on the main highway has also been carried out more than twice. Police officials, however, always denied these allegations and succeeded to re-establish the abolished checkposts in the recent past.

The office of Inspector General Police also replaced DPO Mohammad Imran with Saleem Abbas Kulachi only a day after the January 19 attack.

Meanwhile, traders and transporters at Torkham on Sunday also called for re-establishment of the checkposts for their security. They said that closure of checkposts could affect bilateral trade with Afghanistan.