Punjab police: Over half of official bikes in private use

Bikes seen as perks of working with senior police officials, says constable.

LAHORE:

More than half the 200 motorbikes of the Mobiles Squad are in the private use of police employees, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Over 50 bikes are being used by policemen deployed at Chief Minister’s House or Governor’s House, and another 50 or so by personal staff of high ranking police officers.

The drivers of staff cars are allowed to use these bikes, but deputy inspector generals (DIGs) and additional inspector generals (AIGs) have also acquired the bikes for their staff.

Police sources said that the superintendents of police (SPs) concerned were unable to get the bikes back from senior officials. They said that some bikes were given directly on the orders of the capital city police officer (CCPO) himself.

A police constable speaking on condition of anonymity said that he had been using an official bike for the last two years. He admitted that he was not using it for official purposes, but insisted he had a right to the bike since he was working with a DIG.

He said he paid for fuel and maintenance from his own pocket. He said that the unauthorised facility amounted to a display of the power of their bosses.

“I am not the only one with an official bike,” he said. “All my contemporaries working with high ranking police officers are using these bikes.”

SP (Headquarters) Munir Ahmad Rao told The Express Tribune that he had stopped fuel allowance being paid for police bikes in the private use of police employees. He said that in his tenure he had ensured that no bike was given to any high ranking police officer’s employee. He said that he needed instructions from higher-ups in order to recover the motorcycles being used for private business.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2011.