KARACHI: Despite the fact that around 11 traffic police officers have been killed in targeted attacks in the past two years, the majority of traffic police officers deployed at over 300 intersections in the city are performing their duty without any firearms while the plan of the Sindh police authorities to arm them is yet to see the light of day, officials confirmed on Tuesday.

Last week’s killing of a police officer in North Nazimabad raised some key questions regarding the implementation of the security plan of traffic personnel, who were supposed to be equipped with arms and other protection gears after a rise in targeted attacks last year and continued in 2016.

The official sources suggested that the traffic authorities had designated around 250 intersections as ‘sensitive’ in terms of security of their men.

“There are a total of 312 key positions or traffic intersections in the city where the traffic personnel are deployed every day,” said a source.

“Out of these, 250 points are vulnerable for security reasons. More than 1,000 traffic officials are deployed there every day and most of them don’t have any weapons or bulletproof jackets for protection.”

Data acquired from different traffic police official sources say that out of more than 1,000 traffic personnel performing duties on city roads only 219 are equipped with arms and just a little over 600 are protected with bulletproof jackets.

They say after attacks on traffic officials this year the authorities approach the Sindh police high-ups with a plea for more arms and protection gadgets.

“Out of more than 1,000 traffic men performing duties, only 146 have sub-machine guns,” said another source. “Similarly, a total of 69 MPs and four rifles are in use of the traffic police serving in different city areas. The request has been made to the authorities to equip every single traffic man performing duty on road with firearms and security gadgets.”

As the city has more than 3.5 million vehicles and the number of cars and bikes is fast growing, the huge city traffic is being regulated by mere 3,200 traffic police officers.

After the deadly trend emerged last year that showed frequent attacks on traffic police officials, different measures were announced amid much media hype. The measures include arming the personnel with firearms and providing them protection by Rangers, however their security remained precarious.

Five traffic police officials have been killed so far this year as in 2015 six personnel met the same fate in separate incidents of armed attacks while performing duties at different intersections.

Only on Sunday a traffic police Sub-Inspector Mohammed Arshad was gunned down while performing duty near Five Star Chowrangi in North Nazimabad.

“No progress has been made in investigations into cases of traffic officials’ killings, nor any major arrest has been made in this regard,” said an official.

“We believe that there is a need to move on fast track on both sides — investigation into killings and protection of serving officials. For investigation, the counter-terrorism department has been requested to set up special team for that purpose and for protection we have requested the Sindh police authorities to equip our men with arms and security gadgets,” the official added.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2016