Grievances against police: Cell set up for online lodging of complaints

ISLAMABAD:

If police refuse to entertain your complainant, now you do not need to knock on the door of their superiors as the local administration has set up a complaint cell to entertain such grievances.

If the police refuse or snub the people, they just send a text message on helpline 1819, the local administration will respond to entertain their complaints, said Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Cap (retd) Mustaq Ahmed while explaining the new complaint cell.

He said that the helpline will remain functional round-the-clock to provide free of cost service to the citizens.

The online complaint cell has been set up on the directive of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, who had instructed the local administration to facilitate the public, who were often rebuffed by the police to save their skin.



All the SMSs will be verified and genuine complainants will be taken up on a daily basis, explained the official.

A focal person would also be appointed to entertain the complainants on a daily basis, he said adding that the administration will also start an awareness drive to acquaint them with the special number.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2015.