Dividing for the good: Lahore may be divided into two police zones

There will be 39 police stations in north zone and 43 in the south.

LAHORE:

There is a proposal to divide Lahore into two zones for purposes of policing. The revelation came at a meeting at the central police office on Friday with Inspector General (IGP) Mohammad Habibur Rehman in the chair.

The IGP said the plan had yet to be approved by the chief minister.

He said it envisaged two officers of deputy inspector general (DIG) working under the direct supervision of the capital city police officer (CCPO), besides six senior superintendents and 22 superintendents of police.

Owing to sprawling population coupled with law and order situation, he said, an urban policing model has also been proposed for the city to ensure protection of the lives and property of the citizens. He said several other proposals were under consideration with regard to an urban policing model.

Proposals

The meeting that lasted for hours supported Lahore’s division into north and south zones.

The north zone will comprise three police divisions, 11 circles and 39 police stations.

The Civil Lines division will include 12 police stations, including four in Civil Lines Circle, three in Islampura and four in Mughalpura Circle besides the women police station at Race Course.

There will be 14 police stations in the Cantonment areas, four in the Cantonment Circle, three in the Defence Circle, four in Baghbanpura Circle and three in Burki Circle.

Similarly 13 police stations would be included in the Model Town division with four in Model Town Circle, three in Ichhra Circle, three in Gulberg Circle and three in Kahna Circle.

It was further proposed that an officer of the DIG rank will head the south zone comprising three police divisions, 12 circles and 43 police stations. There will be 20 police stations in the City Division including four in the Lower Mall Circle, four in Gowalmandi Circle, four in Tibbi Circle, four in Naulakha Circle and four in Shahdara Circle.

The Iqbal Town police division will comprise 12 police stations, including three in Iqbal Town Circle, four in Muslim Town Circle, and three in Gulshan-i-Ravi Circle.

There will be 13 police stations in the Saddar Division with three in Sabzazar Circle, three in Chuhng Circle, three in Raiwind Circle and four in Township Circle.

Additional IGP Malik Khuda Bakhsh Awan, CCPO Aslam Tareen, Additional IGP (investigation) Naseemul Zamman, personal staff officer to the IGP Fayyaz Ahmad and SP (Research and Development) Faisal Raja also attended the meeting.

Also on Friday, the IGP issued a circular order directing police officials to wear uniform on duty. The IGP warned those violating the order of disciplinary action.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2012.