PESHAWAR: The police on Tuesday announced the recruitment of 50 youths from different minority groups for the security of churches, temples and gurdwaras in the provincial capital.

The announcement was made after Hindus and Christians met officials of the Gulbahar police station on Tuesday.

Participants discussed the current security situation in the city, especially in light of the recent attack on Lahore churches.

They examined the security of local worship places of minorities and exchanged suggestions for the maintenance of law and order.

The participants agreed to enhance security of worship places in the provincial capital.

Speaking on the occasion, Peshawar SSP (operations) Dr Mian Saeed said the police had taken appropriate steps for protection of all churches, temples and mosques but even then, the police needed cooperation of the representatives of non-Muslims.

He asked elders of minorities to give him a list of non-Muslim youths to be recruited as special police officers on contractual basis for deployment at local churches, temples and gurdwaras.

The SSP asked the people to adopt security measures on their own by raising boundary walls of their worship places, installing closed-circuit cameras at prominent places and placing razor wire on the walls to counter terrorism.

“We have also assured representative of minorities that the police will train guards of worship places at the police lines so that they could do secure public life on the premises,” he said.

The SSP said SPOs would be authorised to allow or deny entrance to worship places of non-Muslims.

He asked religious minorities to name focal persons to keep liaison with the police, saying this will help maintain law and order in case of demonstrations and rallies.

“We have requested the police to appoint our men on permanent basis so that they will do their duties with full devotion and sincerity,” Rajish Lal Bhatti, a representative of Hindu community said.

He said he himself was appointed as SPO in August 2014 on fixed monthly salary of Rs15000 but he was yet to be regularised.

Bhatti said five men of different non-Muslim communities had been recruited in the wake of twin suicide attacks on the All Saints Church in Kohati area and the experiment was successful as the SPOs were regularly doing duties and playing role for protection of their communities.

Appreciating the police, he said the follow-up meetings would continue to happen every month to take timely steps for maintenance of peace in the provincial capital and secure life of non-Muslims.

A representative of minorities, Haroon Sarb Diyal, told Dawn that non-Muslims too were Pakistanis and therefore, they deserved the same rights as were enjoyed by Muslims.

“We condemn all kinds of violence,” he said, adding that no religion allowed or supported violence and therefore, it was the duty of all people to join hands against terrorism and extremism.

Dr G Jhon of Christian community also appreciated the strategy of Peshawar police for the offer to appoint community police from minorities.

He expressed the hope that by recruiting non-Muslims in community police would help maintain peace in the provincial metropolis.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2015

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