LAHORE, Dec 1: Strict security check would be conducted for those selected for the new special anti-terrorism force in Punjab before their induction into service to ensure they do not belong to any terrorist outfit or criminal rackets in any manner.

As many as 50,000 applications have been received for the initial 500 posts of corporals for the new force from all over the province and soon the process of selection would be started, officials told Dawn on Sunday.

The Punjab government intends to recruit 20,000 corporals in four batches. The first batch is expected to start functioning by the end of next year.

Sources claimed that the corporals would be recruited by the National Testing Service (NTS) purely on merit and especially without any political interference to give a dedicated anti-terrorism force to the province. “We need a real fighting force and any backdoor intervention would fail this purpose,” an official said.

The recruitment process would soon start first through fitness tests. This would be followed by written tests. Selected candidates gone through background security checks would only be called for interviews.

Sources said keeping in view Sindh experience and some instances in Punjab, the authorities planned to first check who is who before recruiting the corporals. “This would be done to ensure that no-one works or has any affiliation or sympathy for any outfit against which the force is supposed to function,” the official said.

It was learnt that a Turkish team of special officers was expected to reach here next week to start formulating training modules for the new force in league with Punjab police high-ups.

The special training would be from eight to 10 months duration. A three-member team of Turkish police officials, all holding PhD degrees in different spheres of policing, is already working on restructuring of Punjab police in around 15 disciplines. There is no such PhD officer in the provincial police.

Sources said that the new anti-terrorism force would proceed against extremists under the Anti-terrorism Act and the Fair Trial Act. And there was apparently no need to formulate a new law.

They said the interior ministry was making rules for the recently enacted Protection of Pakistan Ordinance following which it could be known whether the federal government would delegate powers of the law to the provinces or not.