GUJAR KHAN: Both government institutions and citizens pin their hopes on the police for combating terrorism and maintaining law and order. However, thousands of police posts in the Rawalpindi region are vacant with no steps being taken by the provincial government to address the shortage of police personnel.

According to an official document of the police department available with Dawn, out of 12,295 posts for constables in four districts of Rawalpindi 2,735 posts are vacant. Not a single legal inspector has been posted to fill the 35 available posts.

There are 1,858 posts for head constables, out of which 279 are vacant and 49 posts for sub-inspectors are vacant. Meanwhile only 103 inspectors fill the 171 sanctioned posts in Rawalpindi region.

According to official sources, Rawalpindi district which houses 30 police stations with important security installations in their jurisdiction is facing an acute shortage of police personnel. There are only 5,937 cops filling 7,837 posts.

Only 52 inspectors fill the 96 available vacancies and all 14 posts for legal inspectors in the district are vacant. Similarly 127 head constable positions and 19 positions for sub-inspectors are vacant.

The conditions of Jhelum district are similar with 130 posts for police constables vacant and 110 head constables filling 145 available posts. All positions for legal inspectors and eight posts for inspectors are also vacant.

In the Attock district 275 posts for constables are vacant and 11 inspectors filling 28 positions. Like other districts, all positions for legal inspectors are vacant. Similarly 33 posts for sub-inspectors and 51 posts for assistant sub-inspectors are vacant.

A number of posts are also vacant in the Chakwal district which houses 11 police stations. There are 388 vacant posts for constables and 18 positions for head constables, all five posts for legal inspectors and 16 posts for inspectors are vacant.

The regional investigation board (RIB) of the Rawalpindi region which is responsible for carrying out investigation for high profile cases from all four districts of the region only comprises of an inspector, an ASI, one head constable and three constables.

Despite repeated attempts, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Raja Mohammad Wasal Fakhar Sultan could not be reached for his comments.

Retired,Captain Usman, additional inspector general of Punjab police, however said over 3,000 police constables in Punjab were in the process of being recruited and they would be inducted as soon as they completed training.

He further said that about 2500 more constables would also be recruited this year to overcome the shortage.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2015

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