Hanging in balance: Police uniform issue remains ‘undecided’

LAHORE: A state of conundrum still prevailed in a regional police officers conference at Central Police Office on the question of new uniform for Punjab Police as five different patterns have been short-listed for new consideration for uniform recently.

The five patterns included the old uniform (Khakhi pants and black shirt), Islamabad Police uniform, grey uniform, navy blue uniform and light mustard and olive green uniform pattern. Ever since, the old uniform of Punjab Police was replaced with new olive green uniform, contradictory views persisted in different ranks of the department. A few people have welcomed the new uniform, while others have different opinion and oppose it. There are differences of opinion on the design and the material of the uniform which many see as not weather-friendly. The uniform was changed when Mushtaq Sukhera was the chief of the Punjab Police.

Additional IG Usman Khattak, who was appointed as acting IGP, wore old uniform while taking oath. As an additional IG under Mushtaq Sukhera, he had also donned new olive green uniform.

Sensing the situation, new IGP Arif Nawaz Khan formed an eight-member committee headed by Additional IGP Muhammad Tahir to seek opinion of the force regarding the new uniform. The other members of the committee included Sheikhupura Regional Police Officer Zulfiqar Hameed, Deputy IG Discipline and Inspection Shahzada Sultan, Logistics Assistant Inspector General Rai Babar, Faisalabad City Police Officer Athar Ismail, Rahim Yar Khan District Police Officer Zeeshan Asghar, Rawalpindi Superintendent of Police (SP) Syed Ali and Rajanpur SP (Investigation) Saifullah Khan.

The committee had surveyed all the regions of Punjab and submitted a report. The issue was also discussed in RPO video-link conference recently in which these five patterns has been discussed. These patterns will be debated and an opinion would be sought before a final decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2018.