PESHAWAR: Security forces on Thursday conducted a search operation in a mosque and its adjacent madrassa in Cantt area after being tipped off about presence of a key militant commander there.Sources told the Statesman that heavy contingents of police laid the siege to Masjid Darwaish and its adjacent madrassa Jamia Imdadul Uloom Islamia after receiving a tip that a key commander of miscreant was present either in the mosque or the adjacent seminary.However, no militant was found during the search operation, which was ended after few hours and both the buildings were declared cleared.Panic and fear gripped the whole cantonment area which remained closed for all kinds of vehicular traffic for few hours, causing immense problems for locals especially schoolchildren and women.The administration of the mosque claimed that the operation had been conducted on the basis of misconception as there was no militant in the mosque or madrassa, adding that all the students of the seminary were registered and a complete record was preserved.It is worth mentioning here here that Masjid Darwaish and its madrassa had been founded by Maulana Hassan Jan Shaheed who was known as a moderate Islamic scholar.
Narcotics seized: Police on Thursday claimed to have foiled a narcotics smuggling bid and arrested two drug pushers.On a tip off, a police party blocked the entrance routs of the city to frustrate the smuggling attempt.In the meantime, a suspected truck was stopped and during the search 119kg hashish was recovered from the secret cavities of the vehicle.Two accused identified as Umar and Ali Akbar were arrested and a case was registered against them – Statesman