Security risk: Secretariat police base station dysfunctional

Policemen cut-off from colleagues; in-charge DSP claims it is not a ‘big issue’

ISLAMABAD: The city’s most important police station is disconnected from the outside world as the wireless system of Secretariat Police Station has been dysfunctional for the last two days, a police official said on Monday.

The officer, who requested his name be kept anonymous, said the wireless system is not working due to a technical fault in the base station placed inside the police station. The Secretariat station is the most important police station as the Supreme Court, Diplomatic Enclave, PM House, President House and other VIP areas fall in its jurisdiction.  However, police high-ups seem least interested to address the issues despite complaints by low-ranking officers.

The officer explained that the base station connects them with other police stations and should thus be operating round the clock. Every police station has its own wireless system and the basic objective is to have better coordination with their colleagues, said the officer.

“We have been requesting high-ups to address the issue but they seem least interested,” said another officer who works at the base station.

The officer said the issue was brought into the notice of seniors, including DSP Secretariat Circle and SP City however they are yet to address it. At the moment, staff at the police station is communicating verbally and relying on TV channels to get updates regarding security issues of the city.

The junior officers of the station complain that they are faced with several administrative issues which are ignored by their seniors but when any untoward incident happens due to the shortcomings, they face the brunt of high-ups.

DSP Secretariat Circle Ghulam Baqir, who is supposed to look after the police station, confirmed that the base station is dysfunctional however he claimed that ‘it is no big issue’ and suggested to get a further version from the police spokesman. When told that he is the overall in-charge of Secretariat Circle and the fault is a major security risk, the officer hung up.

Repeated attempts were made to contact IGP Tahir Alam Khan however, he was not available.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2015.