Security sans space: Police checkposts - on scant resources and no man’s land

Official records say 25 checkposts are located on disputed land; moving them a ‘herculean task’.

RAWALPINDI:

If you are a resident of Rawalpindi, do you know where to go in case you have to report something to the police?  The nearest police station? No. Go and check! There may be a checkpost (chowki) meant to cater to the security needs of your area.

Locating that checkpost may well become a challenge, as according to data collected by The Express Tribune, out of 30 police stations in the district, 14 have set up checkposts — 25 in all. Many of these are located in congested places or ‘disputed’ and unclaimed pieces of land.

“It took me at least two hours to locate the Gulrez police checkpost to register an FIR regarding my stolen motorcycle,” said Muhammad Azhar, a resident of Adiala Road.

He said that when he went to Gulrez Police Station to lodge a case, he was told to report the matter at the checkpost, as the area where his bike was stolen fell under its jurisdiction.

According to a survey by The Express Tribune, most of the city’s checkposts have been set up in congested residential areas or on disputed land, and most people end up scrambling hopelessly to find them.

“It is very difficult to find these police check posts if one wants to lodge a case,” said Tahir Khan, a resident of Gulzar-e-Quaid, where a checkpost has been set up in a residential area. A Rawalpindi police official, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that over 70 per cent of check posts have been set up on disputed lands, mostly  under the control of local politicial figures.

These checkposts mostly have to rely on their respective — and already fund-starved — police stations for support.

“We are always asked to work within the available resources,” said a constable at Gulrez checkpost. The policemen at the check post “neither have a motorcycle nor a mobile van. Only rusty old guns with 40 rounds each.”

He said that most buildings for the checkposts have been provided by local politicians or influentials, where policemen essentially work as their guards. Some checkposts have been set up in disputed buildings or on plots whose ownership cannot be claimed.

These checkposts include Band Khanna Checkpost under Sadiqabad Police Station, Checkpost Number Four under the Ratta Amral Police Station, Race Course Checkpost under  the RA Bazaar Police Station, Hameeda Checkpost under Naseerabad Police Station, City and Cantt checkposts under Taxila Police Station, Tariqabad and Ranyal checkposts under  Saddar Bairuni Police Station, one checkpost under Rawat Police Station, Chak Belli Khan and Chakri checkposts under  Chauntra Police Station, Sukkho checkpost under  Mandra Police Station, and Samoot checkpost under Kallar Syedan Police Station.

Senior Superintendent of Police Operations Mian Maqbool rejected the impression that these checkposts were under the influence of politicians and influentials. “Policemen in these posts are transferred from time to time so that they are not influenced by anybody,” he said, adding that police checkposts have been set up following standard operating procedures. The SSP said that the rents for buildings housing checkposts were regularly paid by the department.

He said running a post within the available resources was a herculean task for them, but added that they were doing great work despite all the odds.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2013.