CPO orders more security for minorities’ places of worship

Orders intensifying search operations, arrest of absconders

The City Police Officer (CPO) Faisal Rana has directed Rawalpindi police to tighten security of public places, parks, airports, railway stations, and churches, with emphasis on securing worship places of minorities.

He gave these directions while addressing a crime review meeting held at Police Line on Wednesday.

The top cop of Pindi directed intensifying search operations to fight the anti-social elements to maintain peace and also ordered the SHOs to arrest wanted criminals in the remits of their police stations both the proclaimed offenders and court absconders

Rana gave particular instruction to precincts heads to inspect security of worship places of minorities. Taking a strong exception of showing performance in paperwork only, the police chief said: “officers doing security check only on papers will be handed papers of suspension letters.”

Rana said that the police should make security arrangements so that the minorities face no threat or fear while worshipping particularly on special religious occasions.

While chairing a meeting on security condition in CPO Office, Rana said that public places should be strictly monitored as public keep coming to them round the clock.

He said that some institutions and places had their own internal security arrangements but still the police were responsible for the external security.

He warned that passengers, either by air, train or bus, should not be allowed to carry any item which could cause harm to anybody.

The CPO directed the SPs to revisit security measures of areas under them with help of SDPs and SHOs. He said that it should be ensured that all closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras were operational as they were a major source of identification of criminals.

He said that cameras should be made functional particularly in financial institutions such as banks. He asserted that no robberies in banks would be tolerated in any case.

The CPO said that the police officers who performed their duties on papers only and not physically would be treated with zero tolerance. He said that such policemen would be handed over their suspension letters.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2019.