GUJRAT: The district police have withdrawn at least 50pc of the policemen performing security duty for the ruling and opposition lawmakers and other VIPs, including some former DPOs.

The decision to withdraw the police guards has been taken following the directions of Punjab Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Sukhera to deploy maximum force for general security and official work.

Official sources told Dawn on Monday that around 100 policemen had been performing guards’ duties for at least 40 VIPs, including ruling party legislators and former federal ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira and Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain.

Similarly, at least five former district police officers, judges, some religious figures, vice chancellor of the University of Gujrat, two doctors, besides the officials of the district administration, including the DCO, three assistant commissioners and others were given police security.

However, a retired additional IG and two ex-DPOs -- Raja Munawar and Mahmoodul Hasan Qureshi (currently serving in Gigit Baltistan) – will still have guards of Gujrat police.

A former DPO who was posted in the district around a year ago has been given 10 personnel of local police as his security guards because he faced ‘serious threats’ from some banned sectarian outfits.

The ruling party lawmakers, including MNAs Nawabzada Mazhar Ali Khan, Abid Raza Kotla and Jaafar Iqbal and MPAs Hanif Awan, Mian Tariq, Nawabzada Haider Mehdi, Shabeer Kotla and a local leader Raza Ali Warraich Matta have been given two to five police guards each.

Both Qamar Zaman Kaira and Chaudhry Wajahat Husain were given five and two guards, respectively.

Under the revised allocation of police personnel, the number of guards for the lawmakers, former DPOs, two doctors has been halved, whereas the district administration and the judges will have only one police guard each at a time.

The withdrawn policemen have been asked to report back to the DPO office within 24 hours.

Muhafiz committees: Muhafiz committees comprising officials of the district government and police as well as retired civil and army personnel, lumberdars and social workers have been constituted at the union council level in Gujrat.

The primary objective of these committees is said to be the assistance to the police and the district government in maintaining law and order besides playing the role of a bridge between the administration, police and the public.

The inaugural meeting of the Muhafiz committees of at least 117 union councils of the district was held at the district council hall here and tehsil council hall, Kharian, with Gujrat DCO Liaqat Ali Chatha in chair.

The officials of the district government and DPO were also present at the meeting.

Briefing the participants, both the DCO and DPO said the Muhafiz committees would keep a record of rented houses of the respective UC besides keeping an eye on gipsy families and beggars roaming in the area, sensitive locations, hotels, restaurants, criminals, watchmen, non-registered vehicles especially the motorbikes, mosques, seminaries and the preaching groups (Tableeghi Jamaats) residing or visiting the area etc.

The office of union council secretary will be the office of the Muhafiz committee as the secretary will be responsible for compiling the record of all aforementioned assignments whereas the committee will hold its meeting after every 15 days whereas the assistant commissioner and SDPO of the respective areas will visit these committees at least once in a month.

Published in Dawn, July 1st , 2014