The IG police office: a ‘security risk’

Concrete walls have claimed a residential street in the name of security.

ISLAMABAD: In the heart of sector F-7/1, the road that served as an exit from Faisal Market is no longer open for traffic. The adjacent road that was once a short cut through the sector is now a maze of barriers. Residents with homes on the road must now weave their way through these ‘security’ barriers everyday.

All because, located in the heart of this posh sector is the office of Islamabad Inspector General of Police.

Asim Khichi, spokesperson for Capital Development Authority (CDA), admitted that this office being in the residential area was a violation of their by-laws.

The office started out as simply a rented house in street 31 of the sector. Gradually, as fear of terrorist attacks and insecurity grew, so did the police office’s boundary walls. They now have concrete walls barricading the street, with policemen permanently deputed outside. Inhabitants of the street (previous neighbours to the police office) have slowly evacuated the area. The only remaining inhabitants are a few boys who live in a building that serves as a hostel.

However, The Express Tribune was unable to speak to the residents as police restricted access to them citing ‘security threats.’ A small park in the street has been converted to parking area for police vehicles. Most residents of the sector expressed annoyance over the police ‘occupation’.

They said that the closed street was an annoyance and that there was always stagnant water within the cordoned off area.  They said that the loss of their park was unfair and agreed that the sector’s aesthetic appeal had been destroyed.

Spokesperson for Islamabad Police said that the deteriorating law and order situation had led to the ‘enhanced’ security at the IGP office. “Three times in the near past police installations were targeted in which 42 police personnel were killed,” he said.

To this statement, resident Kinza Ejaz responded, “They admit to being sensitive targets to attack. If their office here gets attacked, our homes and lives will become collateral.” A number of other residents also felt insecure about living in proximity of such a sensitive target.

However, some residents were happy about the police being close by. Hammad Ali, a local, said that police personnel roaming around in the street made his family feel secure.

In contrast, another resident Adeel Adil said, “It is astonishing to see police building a fort in the area, so blatantly violating the city laws.”

Wasim Ahmad and Jumma Khan, two police personnel stationed outside the IG office said, “Police only provide security to the people, but in return they abuse us.” They said that residents did not need to hire security guards because policemen were always watching the area. To a query, police revealed that they maintained a list of names of all residents in the area.

Babar, who operates a restaurant in the sector’s market said, “There is a pond of stagnant rain water in the street, it smells so much that costumers keep away from the market.” He added that, “Municipal staff of CDA is helpless because they don’t have access to areas behind the concrete walls.”

Arshad Butt, a shopkeeper in the same market claimed that costumers preferred going to other markets because more than three entrances to this one had been closed.

According to Federal Minister for Housing, Rehmatullah Kakar, 167 flats in Islamabad are illegally possessed by employees of the Islamabad police. Additional reporting by Umar Nangiana

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2010.