MUZAFFARABAD: AJK’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Bashir Ahmed Memon has said that the army personnel’s deployment inside the polling stations would help effectively handle law and order situation during the upcoming AJK polls.

“The strength of the AJK police is too short to singlehandedly cope with the law and order problem on the polling day, particularly in the sensitive areas… Therefore, the deployment of army personnel will help effectively maintain peaceful environment, also because people have great faith in the institution of army,” he said in an interaction with Capital Journalists Forum here.

The IGP, who has recently assumed this office, said he was pleased to observe that the crime ratio in AJK was far less than that of Pakistan, and he attributed it to the better literacy rate, particularly in the womenfolk.

He, however, said he did not mean that the police should take the situation easy.

“I will ensure improvement in policing system in my earnest efforts to come up to the expectations of the public,” he said.

The IG said he would also make sure that recruitments in police department during his time were made on merit in the most transparent manner.

To a question, the IGP said checking regime at AJK’s entry and exit points would also be reorganised on modern lines to preempt any threat to the region’s peace.

He said he was in favour of regularising police personnel appointed on contract some six years ago, not only on humanitarian grounds but also in keeping their experience.

To a question about traffic problems, he said mere fines could not bring improvement, unless the departments concerned paid attention to engineering measures.

“It’s a good omen that the chief secretary has given directions to the authorities concerned to address traffic engineering related issues which will eventually pave the way for a winsome change,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2016