Police start monitoring of Quetta hotels in Rawalpindi

Collect details of owners, employees from Qilla Saifullah, Qilla Abdullah, Pishin and Khuzdar towns of Balochistan

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi police have started collecting details of all teashops and eateries running under the name Quetta hotel and cafe along with verification of their owners and employees on directions of regional police officer (RPO).

Quetta hotel is a common name for teashops owned by Pashtuns from Balochistan. These teashops remain open till late in the night and are choice hangout of many working class people and students in the garrison town.

Though there was no bar on people of any area of Pakistan working or running businesses in any part of the country, police have taken note of these teashops and started monitoring the owners, employees and also the people who regularly sit there late in the night.

Rawalpindi division Regional Police Officer Mohammad Ahsan Tufail had directed police officers concerned to submit reports regarding these hotels with details of their owners, employees and verification of their nationality and identity, besides police record if any by end of June.

Following the instructions, the superintendents (SPs) of Rawal, Potohar and Saddar police divisions have prepared separate reports.

Official sources said that the matter regarding Quetta hotels and cafes was discussed recently in a meeting attended by representatives of Special Branch, Intelligence Bureau, police, commissioner and other authorities. The sources said that the meeting was informed that employees of these hotels belong to Qilla Saifullah, Pishin and Khuzdar towns of Balochistan and have limited or no credible identification.

The sources added the Special Branch had identified more than two dozen such hotels and cafes in the city where immigrant workers having dubious identities were employed.

In Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas, more than 60 such hotels were operating with more than 200 employees altogether from various Pashtun-majority areas of Balochistan.

These teashops and breakfast joints remain open 24 hours or at least 18 hours a day with employees working in different shifts. However, the nocturnal patrons of these restaurants remain point of interest for police.

A senior police official said there was no legal barrier on any individual to do business in any part of the country.

However, the city police officer said that the police were strictly monitoring all such cafes and hotels. He added that strict legal action would be taken if any illegal or criminal activity came into the notice of the police.

Helpline 15 named Pukar

The City Police Officer (CPO) Faisal Rana, has directed helpline 15 Pukar (call) to work as a quick response force for protection and safety of the citizens.

While speaking in different meetings during the day, he said that Pukar or call the new official name of the police helpline was given for same purpose.

He added that he would personally resolve all issues related to the helpline so that the citizens could get a response to their problems in minimum time. He added that as soon as a call was received on the helpline, the SHO of related police station would also be informed so that the force from both sides could reach the incident site. He said that such measures measure would help tightening noose against the criminals.

He directed that patrolling should be done round the clock as it had the biggest role to curb criminal activities in every part of the world.  He said that the problems arose when the patrolling mobiles misinformed  about their locations on wireless while the patrollers were resting at some other place. He added that he would make surprise visits to check patrolling mobiles while the misleading informers would face strict action.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2019.