LAHORE: A ‘strategy’ for dealing with the upcoming Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Azadi march on Aug 14 was evolved on Wednesday during two meetings addressed by two top Punjab government officials separately and attended by all regional and district field officers.

Though all regional commissioners, district coordination officers, regional and district police officers were called to discuss security arrangements for Ramazan bazaars, Jumatul Wida, Chand Raat, Eidul Fitr, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and terrorism threats, the chief secretary informed that field formations would be given necessary direction and government policy to ‘tackle’ the PTI.

The provincial police chief, in another meeting with his field officers at the Central Police Office after the first meeting, gave general policing directions.

According to insiders, the IGP said though police authorities desired that the government must sort out political solution to the PTI’s march instead of creating a law and order situation, police would follow the government’s policy in letter and spirit.

Police are feeling jittery after Model Town fiasco

According to a field police officer, the IGP and his team seemed to be reluctant to go for ‘confrontation’ in the wake of the Model Town fiasco.

They said the IGP also took notice of police lethargy in handling the activists of Pakistan Awami Tehreek who gathered in Islamabad to receive their leader Tahirul Qadri, saying an action against some district police officers could be initiated any time.

Insiders said the gathering of entire regional and district machinery was aimed at conveying the government’s intention to ‘strictly’ handle the PTI activists before the march.

Meanwhile, a handout issued by the Central Police Office stated that the IGP presided over the RPO conference and reviewed security arrangements in connection with the upcoming religious events.

He said the DPOs must avoid transferring their subordinates under any pressure and rather develop a policy of transfers on solid grounds.

Sokhera made it clear that black sheep in the police department must be removed as he was adopting the policy of intolerance to corruption.— FAISAL ALI GHUMMAN

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2014