Community policing initiative loses purpose

Man shot by Dolphin Squad officials succumbs to injuries in hospital

LAHORE: Dolphin Squad, a specialised patrolling wing of Lahore police established after spending billions of rupees to promote community policing, seems to have lost its purpose.

It is time and again proving itself to be a trigger-happy force rather than one that could be seen serving the community.

Last week, the death of another citizen has been registered in the list of those killed by the squad.

Hassan Bhatti, a victim who had been shot by Dolphin Squad officials on March 13 in the back while he was inside his car succumbed to injuries on Friday. The victim was undergoing treatment in a hospital in critical condition.



Initial investigations have suggested that the officials might have targeted him in connivance with his opponents. However, further investigations were underway.

The FIR of the incident states that the victim withdrew some cash from a private bank in Iqbal Town and left for his house. As he crossed Bismillah Chowk, four Dolphin Squad officials intercepted him. They thoroughly checked him and asked him to drive the car to a side. As the victim sat inside the car, a Dolphin Squad official, Sabir, fired a shot that hit him in the back.

The suspects rather than shifting him to the hospital stood right there. Meanwhile, officials from the local police station reached the spot and shifted him to Jinnah Hospital from where he was shifted to a private hospital and he passed away on Friday.

The victim said in a video statement, “I was going in my car when Dolphin Squad officials intercepted me and enquired why I did not stop. I told them that they did not ask me to stop earlier. They asked for a search, I requested them to let me park the car on the roadside. As I was parking the car, an official opened fire. I received a bullet injury in my back.” A case was registered against the officials and they were arrested.

This is not the first incident in which Dolphin Squad officials refused to shift the injured to the hospital. Last year, the squad’s officials shot and injured a youth in Gulberg. He was returning home after purchasing medicine for his mother. The officials rather than shifting him to the hospital took him to a police station and subjected him to torture.

The list of targeting and shooting innocents by the Dolphin Squad is a long one. On March 18, Dolphin Squad officials shot at and injured a youth identified as Umar in Chung. The victim said he was returning home after attending a marriage ceremony with a friend. In January, the squad had injured a shopkeeper, a victim of a robbery, while responding to a call on helpline 15 at Abdali Chowk, Islampura. Earlier, the squad shot dead a woman in Naseerabad, a mentally challenged man in Gulshan-e-Ravi and a youth on Band Road.

These frequent incidents of shooting show that the Dolphin Squad that was initiated as a special project a few years back with an exclusive purpose of improving the department’s tainted image by promoting community policing has lost its purpose. For the purpose, billions of rupees were pumped into the project.

Dolphin Squad assaults continue in Lahore

They were provided heavy motorbikes and special equipment. Officials from Turkey trained the squad. Master trainers were sent there for the purpose. The top brass of police need to look into the matter seriously and immediately remove from field duty, if not the job, any official found guilty of abuse of authority.

On frontline against coronavirus

Punjab Police has played a frontline role in the fight against coronavirus. The police are taking care of themselves by introducing preventive measures like the use of masks, gloves, sensitisers and shift systems while also playing their role in maintaining law and order.

The force despite fear of spread of the pandemic in its own rank and file is demonstrating high morale that is highly appreciable. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2020.