Anti-Riot Force to act across Punjab

LAHORE:

Realising the need for capacity building for dealing with riots after their failure to contain peacefully the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) march recently, the Punjab Police have started taking steps to replicate the Anti-Riot Force (ARF) across the province.

For this purpose, a four-week-long course has begun at the Chung Training College. In the first stage the force is being replicated in Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, and Kasur.

The course is being attended by officers of the rank of SSPs, SPs and DSPs and upper subordinates (inspectors, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors). Female officers are also attending the course. Officers from Lahore are also part of the course.

The master trainers from the ARF Lahore, who have acquired training from Turkey, will impart training to the batch. These officers and upper subordinates after having acquired training at Chung will serve as master trainers for building up of the force at their respective districts.

According to the details of the course available with The Express Tribune, the participants will be taught the techniques and formations of anti-riot maneuver.

These techniques will be taught in phases. Initially formations followed by techniques and then the use of gear. There are formations the ARF Lahore has been practicing, namely, Line, V, Roof and Circle.

In Line Formation, the ARF members gather in the shape of a straight line. This formation is used to serve as a wall to contain the movement of the protestors. In the V formation, the policemen gather around in the shape of a V. It is used to avoid the conflict between two rival groups. The cops penetrate into the conflicting groups and separate them. It is also used to create way for the movement of a VIP in public.

The Roof formation is used when protestors resort to pelting the force with stones. The policemen as a defence measure gather carrying their shields and stick all around them -- upper side and surroundings -- to protect themselves from being hit.

The circle formation is used to make arrests. In this formation, the ARF members gather in a circle around the target and gradually shorten the circle diameter to arrest the rioters.

After learning formation as an anti-riot measure comes the use of non-lethal weapons, namely, teargas, baton charge, water cannon and pepper ammo.

These tactics are resorted to when protestors turn violent. The tear gas is used when the protestors resort to pelting the police with stones. Baton charge is resorted to when the protestors start attacking the cops.

The use of pepper ammo and water-cannon comes in when the protestors outnumber the police force and prior measures have become too ineffective. The course participants will also be briefed about the anti-riot gear, platoon formation and the different stages of anti-riot from mobilization from police lines to holding negotiations with the protestors to making decisions to the use of different anti-riot formations and techniques.

Background

In 2014, at least 14 people were killed in an armed clash between the supporters of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and the Lahore Police.

A few months later, two men were torched to death allegedly by a Christian mob after suicide attacks on churches during Sunday prayers in Youhanabad.

Still later, an SSP rank officer in Islamabad had refused to resort to the use of force on the protestors fearing a repeat of the Model Town tragedy.

These turn of events had made the authorities realize the need for building up a specialized anti-riot force.

A batch of over 1400 police officers comprising the ARF were trained by the Turkish police, and it was launched in December 2016. The ARF had also responded to crisis situations outside of Lahore as well.

It was decided in 2017 to replicate it throughout the province. However, no concrete steps were taken since then until the realization of the urgency in this regard after the failure of dealing with the TLP marches.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2022.