KOHAT: A fresh security plan has been approved to protect sensitive installations from terrorist attacks and to control growing incidents of extortion in the region.

Chairing a high-level meeting here on Wednesday the commissioner, Syed Jamal ud Din Shah, directed police and intelligence people to remain vigilant to avoid any unpleasant incident.

Officials of police, civil administration and security establishment from Hangu, Karak and Kohat districts attended the meeting.

Mr Shah stressed that all the departments should keep close coordination and take strict action against target killers, kidnappers and extortionists.

The meeting also discussed various issues and decided to provide security of life and property to people.

The Kohat commissioner said that about 1,000 persons had been recruited in the police department on one year contract to enhance security across the division. These men had been included in the force after the last year`s sectarian riots in Kohat, he added. They would be paid Rs15,000 salary per month, he maintained The Kohat commissioner said extraordinary measures should be taken to protect the areas adjoining the long tribal belt with Hangu and Kohat because militants, smugglers and criminals moved into districts from there. He asked the security people to crackdown on arms and ammunition smugglers who carried them as far as to Karachi from the tribal area.

Mr Shah warned that no lethargy would be tolerated in that regard. He also directed the concerned officials to investigate cases of criminals using the modern techniques to ensure success in conviction rate Meanwhile, businessmen complained that some people were extorting money from them in the name of MNA Sheharyar Afridi.

HOSPITAL STATUS: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has raised the status of Liaquat Memorial Hospital to category C instead of fulfilling its promise to reconstruct which has been the longstanding demand of the people. The hospital was built in 1951.

Officials said that the project required Rs500 million, which wasn`t possible with help of the federal government and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).

Meanwhile, the district development advisory committee chairman MPA Zaiullah Bangash and MNA Sheharyar Afridi told journalists here on Wednesday that the KP government had allocated Rs330 million for development schemes in Kohat in the next Annual Development Programme. They said the allocation would be spent in health, communication and education sectors.

MNA Afridi said that the government had approved Rs20 million for carpeting the dilapidated city roads. Similarly, over Rs30 million had been sanctioned for making the KagazaiTanda Dam dual carriageway way.