Law and order: Lahore police to upgrade main pickets, scrap the rest
The Lahore police has come up with new guidelines for who will be assigned to picket duty and how the city’s main pickets are set up, said Capital City Police Officer Aslam Tareen on Wednesday, a day after a shooting at the Babu Sabu Interchange checkpoint in which two constables were killed.
The CCPO said that only police personnel under 30 would be assigned to man pickets as they were fit and active up to that age. They would be provided new weapons, he said.
He said that the city’s major police pickets would be modelled on the Thokar Niaz Beg picket, which includes bunkers from where shooters can provide cover to personnel on duty and canopy cover.
The CCPO said that CCTV cameras would be installed at the eight main pickets in Lahore – at Thokar Niaz Beg, Babu Sabu-Sherakot, New Ravi, Old Ravi, Gajju Matta (Bhopatian), Saggian, Mohlanwal and Muhafiz Town – which would be monitored 24 hours a day. They were also considering introducing breaks after every three hours so personnel could stay fresh throughout their shifts. Facilities like washrooms and drinking water coolers would also be set up at these pickets. “The other police pickets in the city will be abolished phase by phase, as they are mainly just a nuisance to traffic,” he said.
The CCPO said that the police had made no headway in finding the men who attacked the Babu Sabu picket on Tuesday.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Romail Akram said that 20 snipers from the Quick Response Force had been assigned to work at police posts. He said that no personnel at pickets would be left unarmed. Every policeman would be given at least a pistol, even the ones doing the checking, he said.
He said that every police picket would have 12 to 16 personnel on duty during each shift. He said that the police were currently doing a quick check to ensure all weapons were in proper working order. He said that the pickets would be upgraded in line with the CCPO’s vision in around a month.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2012.
COMMENTS (7)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
They should equip each sniper with a goo night vision scope to give them that edge.
Not to mention that those who refuse to pay and speed off will be shot from behind by the snipers... God save us
Oh wow... 20 personell at every picket. Now we the poor citizens will have to deal with the onslaught of 20 money hungry policemen threatening and intimidating poor souls just to get their hands greased. God save us
Now ordinary people will have more trouble moving around. There will be traffic jams while Khadim-e-Aala will zoom pass.
@Zamir Malik:
Very well said. I hope someone is listening out there.
I had to drop someone to Babu sabu and I had to wait there, so I got chance to observe their routine the same night they were attacked, and I must say our police is being run on 'desi guidelines'
I appreciate PMLN quick response in every manner. 20 snipers from the Quick Response Force is a good initiative. I also suggested the same thing on many posts that we want Snipers along with Quick Response force and now Punjab government is implementing it in due time. Snipers are a necessary part of Every Police unit but unfortunately in Pakistan it is not the case and we have to revolutionize our Police force for that. The second step should be the Provision of Night goggles and laser ranging devices along with Bullet proof vests for all patrolling police force to give them further edge against perpetrators. Also we want a new Communication system based on CDMA or on proper Encryption so that no one can eavesdrop as at present anyone with a radio can listen and eavesdrop the conversation and it is a loop hole at present. Along with it trained sniffer dogs should be the inclusion in the next step as well at check posts.