PESHAWAR, May 11: The telephones in all the police stations under the control of Capital City Police have been rendered one-way as they failed to pay their bills which had exceeded the official ceiling, sources told Dawn on Sunday.

Phones are important in controlling law and order, and the people may have to bear the brunt of this disruption in the facility to the police in case of an emergency.

Excessive billing was not deemed a big problem in the past, but not so any more.

Sources say the new police chief has stopped illegal means of covering the high bills.

Before the new incumbent, generating money from smugglers was never thought of as “illegal”.

“The young educated lot of SHOs, who are holding the responsibility for the first time, are not giving any room to shake the confidence reposed in them by their CCP head,” the sources claimed.

Telephones of three important police stations — Badhber, Mathra and Daudzai — remained disconnected for more than a month owing to non-payment of bills.

“The PTCL authorities have now restored the one-way facility at these police station on the request of senior police officials,” the sources said.

Even the provincial police control room had to contend with the one-way phone for a long period. The control room is responsible to provide prompt information to the IGP.

But another police official, when contacted, said that one-way phone facility was not a big issue as most of the police officials, from ASI to high-ranking officials, had personal cellular phone facility and they could get and receive the information in case of an emergency.

He said the official ceiling of police stations vary according to the population of their respective areas.