No madad at 15

KARACHI: One thing you don’t want when making a frantic call to the police is for them to not pick up the phone.

People have complained that their calls to Madadgar 15, set up in DIG South’s office, go unanswered for hours. According to officials, for the past month there has been a dire shortage of personnel at the office.

The number of officers per shift has fallen from 35 to 20, while the phone lines are 40. One reason appears to be that the department is not a popular choice and officers dislike being posted there.

In fact, some officials have said that transferring to Madadgar 15 is actually used as a punishment. They said that most policemen posted at the department spend their time looking for alternative postings.

While several officials have managed to be transferred to other police stations, many others are trying. Still others are on long medical leaves. Initially, Madadgar 15 offices were established in the offices of DIG East, South and West zones. However, following complaints of inefficiency, the government decided to concentrate on just one office.

The emergency helpline is supposed to be ready to respond swiftly to emergencies by sending a police mobile to the affected area along with notifying the area’s police station. However, in the current situation, many calls for help remain unanswered.