RAWALPINDI: Police arrested three shopkeepers in the cantonment area for selling army and police uniforms without any legal authority.

The arrests were made in the light of intelligence that some shopkeepers were involved in the sale of army and police uniforms without permission.

The Punjab government has already directed the police and the counterterrorism department to launch a crackdown on unauthorised sale of army and police uniforms and seal such shops and submit their report twice a week. However, no shop was sealed during the raid in the cantonment area here.

During the recent terrorist attacks on sensitive installations, especially on the Army Public School and Pakistan Air Force camp in Badaber Peshawar, the terrorists were wearing security forces’ uniforms.

According to the police, there were 50 shops in the garrison city selling army, police, Rangers and Frontier Constabulary uniforms.

Of the 50 shops, 16 were located at Railway Road Saddar which sold caps, shoes, badges, belts, raincoats and jackets.

The police raid was conducted on three shops which were located not far from sensitive installations and a police station.

During the raid, the police recovered six pairs of army shoes, three dozen ranks, 34 army shirts and 24 caps from Hussaini Army and Police Store.

The police arrested an employee of the shop identified as Waqar Hussain.

As many as 14 T-shirts of police, 68 caps, 23 caps of the elite force, 15 pairs of shoulders and 24 caps were seized from Paracha Army and Police Store. The police arrested Mohammad Rizwan from the shop.

The Bismillah Army and Police Store at Railway Road was also raided during which 12 caps of traffic wardens, 23 caps of the elite force and 57 caps of the police were recovered.

Mukhtar Ali Khan, an employee of the shop, was arrested after he failed to produce any official permission for selling the military or police uniforms.

Published in Dawn, September 21st , 2015

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