All geared up: Over 250 police vehicles armoured

PESHAWAR: The telecommunication and transport branch of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police has completed installing armoured plates in 256 pickup trucks to protect them against roadside bomb attacks. The option to make the vehicles bullet-proof was also considered, but was later dropped as armoured plating is more cost-effective. Around 204 single-cabin and 52 double-cabin pickups were installed with steel plates. Speaking to The Express Tribune, a police official said the decision was taken after consulting the Pakistan Army, which has also installed the armoured plates. The move was aimed at providing sufficient protection to police vehicles and to reduce casualties. He said more vehicles will be armoured in phases.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2014.