RAWALPINDI: Police are looking for land owned by the government to construct buildings for nine police stations and 16 posts which are at present operating either in rented buildings or leased property in the Rawalpindi district.

According to sources, City Police Officer (CPO) Abbas Ahsan directed all station house officers (SHOs) to search for four to five to kanals in their respective jurisdictions.

Of the total 30 police stations, nine most important are operating either in rented buildings or leased property despite huge resources provided to the police by the government. Likewise, 16 police posts are established in rented or leased property.

These police stations and 16 posts are currently functioning in rented buildings

In a letter to all the SHOs, Mr Ahsan said documents of the government land having ownership deed and other papers should be submitted to his office by Dec 8.

The list of the police stations and posts without their own buildings was also sent to the SHOs.

The Airport and Ratta police stations have been operating in the leased property of Pakistan Railways, Morgah police station is set up in the Attock Oil Refinery’s property, Pirwadhai police station is functioning in a market of the TMA, Westridge police station is in the cantonment board’s property while Racecourse, Naseerabad and Saddar Wah police stations are set up in rented buildings.

Of the 16 police posts, four are functioning in Wah factory’s property while the Adiala police post is operating on the premises of the jail.

The police post Sukho of Mandra police, police post of Chak Beli Khan in Chontra, police post Daultala of Jatli police and Hameeda police post of Naseerabad are also working in rented buildings.

The Lehtrar and Karor posts of Kotli Sattian police are functioning in the property of the forest department while police posts at Gulzar-i-Quaid, Gulraiz and Lulyal are in rented buildings.

Besides, the police post Chaklala Scheme III is functioning in a private property, police post Angoori in Murree is in the property of the forest department while the Shah Faisal police post is operating in a rented building.

A senior police official told Dawn that instead of searching for other land the police should get transferred the land of those police stations or posts which were operating in the railway or forest department.

There are two police posts - Chontra and Chakri - that were built in 1860 but still the police are using the old and dilapidated buildings risking the lives of its officials posted there.

The police post at Chaklala Scheme III is functioning in the room of a private building’s security guards.

“I had been posted to the Shah Faisal police post which is located in a small rented house where there is no lock-up and no room for the police staff to change their uniform,” said a police official. He said due to the narrow streets, access of vehicles to the police post was not possible.

The Airport police station has a toilet for the SHO but none for the subordinate staff. During rainy days, the police station is submerged in rainwater.

The Morgah police station is functioning in a three-room building of the Attock Oil Refinery with no lock-up and living rooms for the staff.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2018