LAHORE: After a botched raid at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat on June 17, the capital city police authorities have initiated an anti-riot police unit where 210 constables are being trained in multiple anti-riot skills.

The six-week course, initiated at Qila Gujjar Singh Police Lines last week, has three parts -- PT parade, lectures on anti-riot techniques and psychology and anti-riot demonstrations.

Officials told Dawn the training modules had been designed by Superintendent of Police (SP) Omer Saeed with the help of Pakistan Army, Elite Police and Chuhng Police Training College.

They said a tear-gas cadre would learn how to use the gas to achieve desired results and lessen damages.

Officials added trainees would also be taught about the usage of mega phones, shields and fire rubber-bullets and how to strike batons on protesters besides dealing with injured people and provide them first-aid.

Of the 210 constables, aged between 25 and 35, 120 have been taken from Police Lines and 90 others from police stations. The batch has been divided into seven platoons and the trained officials would remain in their unit for one year. They said 190 constables would also get training at a later stage and help authorities to spare 40 anti-riot police reserves for future needs.

A police source said the Model Town anti-encroachment operation on June 17 and ensuing casualties and injuries of Pakistan Awami Tehrik protesters pushed police authorities to raise such an independent cadre.

He said a majority of field police officers -- from station house officers to divisional SPs -- lacked anti-riot policing skills. He said in the Model Town clash police officers lacked an independent command, mutual coordination and basic techniques of anti-riot.

Deputy Inspector General Dr Haider Ashraf said the establishment of the specialised cadre as it was observed that in any law and order situation policemen were unable to handle protesters mainly owing to the lack of training and the absence of a specialised unit.

He said officials from police stations, police lines and reserves were usually called out to handle law and order situations with anti-riot gears like batons, anti-riot jackets, shields, helmets, shin guards and tear-gas apparatus.

He said the training would continue in the future and the trained cops would be equipped with anti-riot bags.

Published in Dawn, October 1st , 2014