A tussle between the local police authorities and the administration of the Sihala Police College left hundreds of police personnel called in for Muharram security duty thirsty, hungry and also without any transport.
As many as 1,040 police personnel were sent to Rawalpindi, in addition to 200 officials to Chakwal and 160 to Attock, to assist the local police in Muharram duties. However, the majority of those sent to Rawalpindi were without food or transport since they left Sihala on Wednesday morning.
Some officials said they were told not to carry handluggage containing clothes and other items while travelling to Rawalpindi because they would be provided accommodation, food and transport by Rawalpindi police.
“But on reaching Rawalpindi, we were not offered food and were dropped at Sadiqabad for security duty in the afternoon,” a police official said. He said he, along with his colleagues, remained at their duty points in Sadiqabad until Thursday morning.
“No police vehicle came to pick up the police contingent from the Sihala Police College that was deployed in Sadiqabad. Eventually, all of us, carrying riot tools, had to hire vans and taxis to go back to Sihala,” an ASI said.
When they reached Sihala, they expected to receive lunch there, but did not.
“Instead of being offered a meal, we were directed to return to Rawalpindi and report to the DSP headquarters who would brief us on security duty for the main procession on Muharram 10,” another ASI said.
He said they weren’t provided transport to Rawalpindi and instead paid Rs1,000 to travel back to Rawalpindi Police Lines.
When contacted, regional police officer (RPO) Mohammad Sultan Raja said the issue of food for the reserve police brought in from Sihala was resolved after it was brought to his knowledge. He said the police personnel were provided meals at noon and at night.
“The police college administration should have been given food before sending them to Rawalpindi, but they didn’t,” he said.
However, a spokesperson for the Sihala Police College held Rawalpindi district police responsible for not providing their personnel with meals.
The spokesperson said the college had sent 52 reserves of police – including trainee ASIs, sub-inspectors and recruits – to assist Rawalpindi district police, and it was their responsibility to provide food and transportation.
“The Sihala college administration was not responsible for all that,” the spokesperson said.
A total of 86 reserves of police – including the 52 from Sihala – were called in, as compared to the 73 reserves called in to assist police last year. The spokesperson said 15 sections of the Elite Force, 16 companies of army and 10 of Rangers will also be deployed in Rawalpindi for main Ashura procession.
