Greater powers: Police to be allowed to detain people on suspicion

IGP Nasir Durrani claims the move will help solve problem of missing persons.

PESHAWAR:

Inspector General Police (IGP) Nasir Durrani on Saturday said the police will be allowed to detain people on suspicion after approval from the Home and Tribal Affairs Department, claiming this will reduce the problem of missing persons.

“Until now, the police was not allowed to arrest people on suspicion, but a procedure has been adopted that will allow an SP-rank officer to detain a suspicious person after a request is approved by the home department,” said Durrani while briefing journalists at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines.

Following this, an anti-terrorist court judge will be informed within 24 hours and can visit the person being held, he added.

Durrani said the top priority for them is eliminating terrorism from the province, followed by protecting the general public from extortionists and kidnappers. “Differentiating a terrorist from an ordinary person is really difficult in this province due to the similarities in culture, language and dress in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Afghanistan,” he said, adding this helps terrorists enter Peshawar without much resistance.

The police is working on establishing a command and control system to confront these challenges, he said. “No political interference in the police force will be tolerated because such recruits create problems for the common person instead of solving their issues.”

Surprisingly, the IGP suggested government departments should hire private security guards for protection and install close circuit (CCTV) cameras just as banks do. He claimed a strategy has been finalised to counter terrorism and steps are being taken to become more vigilant and prevent terrorists from successfully striking their targets.

Strict action will be taken against police officers found collaborating with criminals, he added. “Arbitrary committees across K-P will be introduced on a non-political basis to rid people from the fatigue of visiting courts and police stations,” he explained.

The IGP has also taken up the issue of lawlessness in the tribal areas with the Frontier Corps, Frontier Constabulary, levies force and the political administration of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in order to improve intelligence sharing and eliminate safe havens for criminals and gangsters.

Durrani said sensitive areas are being identified to chalk out special security arrangements to better protect them.

Commenting on the recent terror attacks on All Saints Church and a bus carrying government employees in Gulbela, he said two different groups were involved. “We have carried out plastic surgery on the skulls of the suicide bombers in the church attack and DNA tests are being conducted to establish their identities.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 29^th, 2013.