RAWALPINDI: The Punjab police will have to live with new dark olive green police uniform as the review committee has ruled out the possibility of going back to the old one.

A majority of police officials throughout the province have reservations over the colour and style of the new uniform, forcing the Inspector General of Police Punjab Arif Nawaz Khan to constitute a seven-member committee aimed at solving various issues associated with the new uniform.

“We have to live with this new uniform,” said a member of the committee to Dawn, saying returning back to old one is simply too embarrassing. He, however, said the police officials had submitted their proposals for making possible amendments to the uniform. “That’s the only option the committee has,” he added.

The committee headed by Additional Inspector General of Police AIG finance and welfare Muhammad Tahir was constituted in September. Other members of the committee include Zulfiqar Hameed Regional Police Officer (RPO) Sheikhupura, DIG Shahzada Sultan, AIG Logistics Rai Babar Saeed and Potohar Division SP Rawalpindi Syed Ali.

The committee had been given the task to either make amendments, alterations, changes in the present dark live green uniform or revert to the previous uniform.

However, the committee went into its first session and decided to live with this new uniform after making some amendments to its design.

The new uniform was first introduced in Lahore whereas in other cities, including Rawalpindi its launching was delayed as some divisional police chiefs strongly opposed its colour.

The committee formed by the IGP held its session last month in Lahore in which Dr Ali Cheema, Associate Professor of Economics of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) participated as a private sector expert.

The committees held a detailed discussion on colour, shade, weight, pattern, comfort and outlook of the uniform.

Zulfiqar Hameed, RPO Sheikhupura, was of the view that the committee should not consider reverting to the previous uniform. However, he said the committee should examine improving the uniform.

Participants of the committee were of the view that going back to previous uniform would be embarrassing for the police high ups who had approved the new uniform, therefore, improvement in the new uniform would be a better option.

Dr Ali Cheema, who participated in the meeting as a private sector expert, suggested that initially the committee should conduct survey and analyse views.

It was decided to ask Research & Development department to explore other options to redesign uniforms.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2017