Communication lapses imperil police personnel

Even in today's era of technological innovation, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Police is still operating without an up-to-date communication system. In fact, the wireless system of the police in Peshawar, which is connected to the mobile vans of 34 police stations, has been inoperative since the past one and a half years.

Among the five wireless towers crucial for facilitating operations undertaken by the Peshawar Police, four are dysfunctional thereby forcing mobile vans to rely on a single tower, limiting their functionality to specific areas. Peshawar's police stations collectively operate around 60 mobile vehicles that patrol sensitive areas, tribal borders, the cantonment, city, and rural divisions to maintain law and order, especially at night.

However, during emergencies, such as night attacks near tribal areas, the nonfunctional wireless system delays responses from minutes to hours. This poses a severe challenge for personnel deployed in areas without mobile network coverage or in zones where networks are jammed.

“Ever since terrorists have started using thermal and laser guns for attacks, the police, especially those stationed near tribal borders, face surprise attacks by terrorists with small and heavy weaponry during the night. Hence, effective communication is crucial to summon additional forces for back up, weapons, and other support to counter these threats,” urged an on-duty police officer at the Mattani Police Station, while speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

Likewise, a constable stationed at Peshawar's suburban Regi Lalma area confirmed that the outdated wireless towers were barely operational. “In remote areas, the unavailability of a stable communication system during the night time operations or raids poses a significant risk to our lives. In the event of an attack, the absence of a quick response mechanism leaves the police vulnerable,” lamented the constable.

In January 2023, the incapability of the police to effectively communicate with personnel came to the fore when a deadly terrorist attack in Peshawar’s Sarband area claimed the lives of three on-duty policemen.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sardar Hussain was rushing to assist his colleagues after a group of militants had attacked the police station. Due to poor communication and coordination between the personnel, DSP Hussain and two other guards were killed in a sniper attack while on their way.

“The initial attack on the police station caused no casualties. However, the lack of an efficient communication system contributed to the tragic loss of DSP Hussain and his team,” regretted the former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kashif Abbasi.

According to information received by The Express Tribune from operational sources within the Peshawar Police, around 40 wireless or pocket phones are dysfunctional at the moment, hindering the management of operational tasks.

This situation underscores the urgent need for Peshawar Police to procure modern technological equipment and update its communication infrastructure in order to improve the response time and safety of the deployed personnel.

Speaking on the matter, Peshawar’s Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Qasim Ali Khan affirmed that given limited resources, the police had assumed a more active and alert position than before.

“While threats to security are higher than before, we have thwarted many attacks with the help of technology. We will try to further improve the communication system of the police,” added Khan.