ISLAMABAD: The two bank heists within three days in the capital city has showed police failure to get a standard operating procedure (SOP) implemented in coordination with the bank administrations.

On April 15, robbers stormed a bank at Tarnol and looted about one million rupees after killing a police official. Three days later, the bandits also struck at a bank in Sihala and fled with Rs4.3 million.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan directed the police to put in place an SOP to check bank robberies in the federal capital.

The police on Tuesday came up with the same SOP and claimed that it had been chalked out on the direction of the interior minister.

However, the officials said the SOP had been prepared in 2001 but due to the police failure to implement it, 18 bank robberies were reported in the city since then.

It may be mentioned that in September 2013 the police provided wrong information to the interior minister about the arrest of some policemen for their alleged involvement in taking extortion from traders in Sabzi Mandi.

In February 2013, the police arrested two contractors of stone crashers and claimed that they were involved in terrorism.

The police also got cash prizes and commendation certificates from the minister for the arrests.

On Tuesday, the police said all the subdivisional police officers and the station house officers (SHOs) were directed to hold meetings with senior officials of banks and money changers and ask them to follow the SOP.

It was decided that in case of a bank robbery, the SHO of the respective area would be responsible and face disciplinary action.

Besides, the manager of the bank will also be booked if they failed to follow the SOP, the police added.

Under the SOP, the administrations of banks and money changers were to install CCTV cameras inside their offices and parking lots. The banks should also install alarms to be linked with the nearest police station or other banks.

The police said two or three trained security guards having bulletproof jackets and helmets would be deployed in each bank and money changer office.

Each of the bank and money changer offices should have bulletproof glass bunker where a security guard would be deployed along with the installation of an alarm system and CCTV camera.

All banks and money changer offices in one market should have contract with a same security company having similar security facilities. In case of cash transfer, security guards should be present in the vehicle having fixed cash box.

A police officer said the condition to hire the same security company was made to benefit the company of a former inspector general of police (IGP).

The company got a number of contracts during the last a couple of months from diplomats, banks, foreign missions and other offices on the recommendation of the police, he added.

In 2011, the police lodged separate complaints with the assistant commissioner against bank managers for their failure to follow the SOP and construct bunkers.

Besides, it also emerged that a majority of banks had two security guards, one of them remained inside and the second outside the bank.

The placement of the guards made them visible, accessible and vulnerable. In most of the robbery cases, the bandits first overpowered the security guard and snatched their weapons to loot the banks.