PESHAWAR: Police have launched a ‘one-click’ SOS alert service for the sensitive and vulnerable institutions including all schools in Peshawar.

The android alert service would enable people at all the vulnerable and sensitive places to inform police about any emergency, whatsoever, through just a click of the mobile phone, said a handout issued here on Monday.

It said that the service would be initially available at the sensitive institutions and schools in Peshawar, however, it would be extended to all educational institutions and vulnerable places across the province soon.

The service was launched after a deadly terrorist attack on Army Public School and Degree College in Peshawar wherein about 150 people including 134 children were killed. The educational institutions in Peshawar are closed owing to winter vacations.

The service will enable people to inform police about emergency through just a click of mobile phone

The terrorist attack forced the security agencies including police to come up with innovative ways to ensure security of the other schools and institutions as winter holidays would end within few days.

The handout said that the alert service would enable people at all the vulnerable and sensitive places to inform police about any emergency through just a click of the mobile phone. The service has been introduced keeping in view the fact that at times it gets difficult for the persons in distress to contact police or provide exact details about their location.

With the launch of this service, any person or the management of an establishment under attack can alert the local police through just a click of their mobile phone sets.

One click on the alert button will automatically send alerts to up to 10 different stations including district police control, field officers and central police office.

The alert, which would be sent in the form of both SMS and telephone call, would contain the address and exact location of the place under attack.

Moreover, the alert message would also contain the coordinates for the venue and would also plot the shortest possible route for the police responders, the handout said.

The service is initially being provided to all the schools and educational institutions of Peshawar.

It will be extended to all the educational institutions and other vulnerable establishments across the province.

Another handout issued by the police department said that IGP Nasir Khan Durrani paid a surprise visit to the peripheral areas of Peshawar bordering Khyber Agency including Mattani, Sarband and Badabher, which often came under militant attacks.

During his visit the IGP inspected the border checkposts at Sheikhan, Aziz Market, Speen Qabar, Sheen Darang, Mashoogagar and Zangali. He interacted with the constabulary deployed on the vulnerable checkposts and enquired about their welfare.

The IGP expressed his satisfaction over the working of the officials deployed at the checkposts and praised them for their bravery.

He also met with the local people in Badbher Bazaar and Zangali. He requested them to keep a close watch on suspicious elements in their neighbourhood and inform police promptly if there was anything alarming or suspicious.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2014