CPO disbands Police Qaumi Razakar in Rawalpindi district

Some volunteer cops were allegedly using uniform and badge to commit crimes

RAWALPINDI: The volunteer force, Police Qaumi Razakar (PQR), has been disbanded in the Rawalpindi district, reportedly, over allegations of volunteers using the uniform to extort bribes and even commit crimes like mobile and purse snatching.

The PQR have been around Punjab for over five decades, however, they were scuttled in Rawalpindi district days after the new city police chief took charge.

According to sources in Rawalpindi police sources, the measure has been taken over the complaints of corruption and misconduct of these part time cops, who wear almost same uniforms as the regular police force. These volunteers were bringing defamation to the police department, sources said.

One PQR official was even found running narcotics and homebrewed liquor supply network, they said pointing out the arrest of PQR official Ahsan Khan who was working with Race Course police. He was found running a drugs and liquor trade. Police had recovered over 500 liquor bottles from his house.  The sources told that the abolition of force is the part of the reforms newly-appointed City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi Ahsan Younus has pledged in the police department.

For this purpose, the CPO issued a letter to all Divisional SPs and Station House Officers (SHOs) in this regard, mentioning the disbanding of the PQR force in Rawalpindi. All the SHOs have been instructed to display visible notices in their respective police stations about the orders.

Further, a senior police official told The Express Tribune that the measure taken by CPO was over the excessive regular complaints of corruption and misconduct of the PQR personnel with the people.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2019.