LAHORE: The first batch of specialised Anti-Riot Police Unit (ARPU) has been deployed in the provincial capital to handle violent protests and situations.

Punjab government, after failure of local police to handle some protests in the past, has established ARPU in all big cities of the province to tackle violent agitation.

The decision in this regard was taken after the Model Town and Youhanabad incidents in Lahore, where protests turned ugly and resulted casualties.

The government first sent 40 police officers of various ranks to Istanbul, Turkey, where they were trained by Turkish police

in anti-riot exercise. The master trainers then returned to the country and trained more than 1,000 newly recruited anti-riot unit personnel.

The new force is divided into groups of 25; each having a specialised vehicle equipped with surveillance cameras, allowing the senior commanders to watch and assess any situation and take a decision accordingly.

The anti-riot unit will work under the operation wing of police under the command of an SP rank officer. SP Muhammad Naveed was appointed first head of the unit in Lahore.

The SP told Dawn that the anti-riot unit had started drills from March 1.

He said the force was equipped with latest technology to peacefully disperse the protesters. The gadgets and gear theses personnel were equipped with included shields, helmets, Robo-caps, batons, paintball riffles, water cannons and gas filters, he added.

He said the force would also be provided smart vehicles that could enter even narrow alleys in the big cities to nab miscreants. “We are also considering using coloured water in the cannons so that miscreants can easily be identified”, he added.

Mr Naveed said the anti-riot personnel were conducting drills on a daily basis and their passing-out parade would be held in May this year.

He said work was on to establish a separate anti-riot police unit lines in the city with all facilities, including residential quarters, training, mess, transport, entertainment and gymnasium to keep the personnel physically and mentally fit.

He said a site had been selected for the facility and until its construction the anti-riot personnel were lodged in Qila Gujjar Singh Police Lines.

He said the unit was established because the local police had failed to handle protesters on various occasions in the past, resulting in untoward situations.

Replying to a query that would these personnel be armed with guns, the SP said the anti-riot unit was trained to disperse protesters peacefully. “We do not have even rubber bullets to disperse protesters”.

He said they would also be trained in negotiation skills so that they could engage protesters in a meaningful way.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2017