LAHORE, May 15: The Punjab government has finally come up with the ‘idea’ that the highway patrol posts can be created by the IGP (PPO) under the Police Order. This will end the controversy about the legal status of patrol posts being established all over the province under a direction from the chief minister, sources say.

Objections ‘under which law such posts would function’ had delayed their inauguration despite the recruitment of staff and construction of buildings.

The sources said the IGP, with the approval of the provincial government, could establish posts in a police station area. But they agreed that these posts would merely assist the police station concerned in nabbing outlaws, having no powers to arrest or interrogate them. The staff of these posts would only “apprehend” culprits and hand them over to the police concerned for registration of cases and interrogation by a separate investigation department. They would also not pursue the cases in courts, but would merely appear as witnesses.

Constables or their officers would be different from the guards of private security firms to the extent that they would be the employees of the provincial department, having state powers to nab culprits or shoot them in self-defence.

According to them, the constables required for such posts would not get high salaries than their comrades in regular police. They had been recruited in the grades for constables, and would get a special allowance for working in the patrol posts. It would be like the CID allowance being given to those working in the cell, they said.

According to a recent decision by the chief minister, a special cell would be established in his secretariat where all FIRs registered because of the patrol posts would be sent by the police stations concerned. It would also monitor progress in investigation and the chargesheets submitted to courts.

The sources said training for constables had been completed, and they were ready to man the posts which would serve as helplines, also rescuing people in case of road accidents or violent crime.

The posts would be equipped with latest equipment, trained staff with high-speed vehicles and sophisticated guns to combat the crime, they said.