LAHORE: A fresh exercise of withdrawal of ‘uncalculated’ unauthorized police force, ministerial and lower cadre staff from VVIPs and senior serving and retired police officials has recently begun across the province on the orders of the Punjab police chief. The exercise is aimed at meeting growing shortages in police reserves and police stations to ‘effectively’ maintain law and order.
The IG, at a recent meeting, took serious notice of police force shortage at police stations and district police lines, directing all regional and district police officers to submit lists of unauthorised deployments and surrender personnel to the relevant district police lines.
Raising concerns about the misuse of police under the name of security threats, the IG also directed to rationalise security of VVIPs and personalities facing terrorism threats and withdraw extra gunmen and elite police personnel.
According to a field police officer, it has become a common practice in the police department to give police personnel in large numbers to people who claim terror and life threats.
He says police officers are also found misusing security SOP by sending policemen to their near and dear ones.
Currently, a good number of policemen and drivers are at the disposal of senior serving and retired police officers, politicians, judges, bureaucrats, journalists and influential personalities from all segments of society.
Similarly, a good number of cooks and sweepers, gardeners, and launderers of the Punjab police are also being unnecessarily engaged by senior police officers for their personal use against entitlements.
According to a police source, a retired IGP is usually entitled to have a gunman, a driver and a cook, but most of the retired IGs living in Punjab have got engaged serving policemen at their residences.
He said even officers of DIG to the Additional IG ranks are availing up to a staff of 40 people. He further said serving policemen, DMG officials and judges after their transfer do not surrender policemen at their personal disposal.
A senior police officer, who has recently been assigned the task of getting feedback of withdrawal of unauthorized force from all police regions, told Dawn that the exercise had been initiated since June 29.
He said he had yet to receive reports from all police regions about the exact number of unauthorized force and actual withdrawal, adding total withdrawal might take a few more days.
A Lahore police officer says they have so far withdrawn 200 police personnel from serving and retired police officers and judges besides MNAs/MPAs and approximately 300 more are required to be withdrawn.
Published in Dawn, July 8th , 2014