ISLAMABAD: Majority of the security pickets set up on the roads of the capital city were found abandoned around dawn on Friday.

The checkpoints were left by the policemen in search of meal for Sehri which they have to buy from nearby markets, officials in the police said. They added that the practice was unearthed by the in-charges of night patrolling teams who later called the policemen to their offices to serve them with punishments.

During an inquiry from those who were found absent from their duty spots, it emerged that the policemen were not being provided Sehri at their places of deployment so they had to leave the pickets at the time of Sehri.

It may be mentioned that the capital police have been providing Iftar and Sehri to the personnel engaged in security duties for the last four years.

Due to lack of official arrangement, policemen have to leave posts to arrange Sehri

Earlier, this year the inspector general of the police asked all the station house officers to arrange meals for the policemen engaged in duties during Iftar and Sehri, the officials said, adding the SHOs were responsible to arrange the meals from their own resources.

In response of the direction, Iftar was arranged for the 426 personnel performing duties in the checkpoints, patrolling, Rapid Response Unit and Counter Terrorism Unit, the officials said.

However, a majority of the SHOs were facing difficulties in arranging meals for the officials twice a day. As a result, Sehri was not provided to a majority of policemen.

The officials said different checkposts even in the high security zone were found abandoned by the policemen during Sehri.

A senior police officer, when contacted, on the condition of anonymity said the SHOs who were made responsible for arranging Iftar and Sehri would pay the amount.

He said meal for 426 officials was arranged at the time of Iftar while about 250 personnel were on duty at the time of Sehri. Police stations have different number of pickets and patrolling teams, he added.

An amount of Rs700,000 was allocated for the meals and handed over to the superintendents of the police according to the number of pickets and patrolling staff in their areas, he said. The step was taken to provide meals to the personnel at their duty spots at Sehri so they would not have to abandon their duty spots putting the security measures at stake.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2014