RAWALPINDI: After the fake encounter in Sahiwal, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Saleemi has directed all divisional police chiefs and the deputy inspectors general of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Special Protection Unit (SPU) to remove the monogram of the Elite Police Force (EPF) from their vehicles.

Any vehicle of the force not being used should be repatriated to the district police.

The move came about after the vehicle used by the CTD personnel in the fake encounter in Sahiwal turned out to be bearing the EPF monogram. The personnel were wearing black trousers and jackets.

Four people, including a couple, their teenage daughter and a neighbour were killed in the fake encounter.

“No one who is not posted in an elite team shall wear T-shirt bearing ‘No Fear’ slogan or black trouser and T-shirt similar to that used by the EPF.”

The police chief said: “The uniform of Quick Response Force (QRF) or any other unit shall be different from that of the Elite Police Force.”

When contacted, EPF Additional Inspector General Afzal Mahmood Butt told Dawn that similar instructions regarding removal of the monogram of the elite force and wearing of its uniform had been issued in January 2014. Today’s instructions are a reminder to the police across the province.

“The police vehicle used in Sahiwal incident carried the monogram of the Elite Police Force, therefore, a reminder has been sent to the police across the province,” the DIG said.

When asked whether the EPF monogram was being used in some districts of the province, he said: “If someone is using the monogram or uniform, a reminder has been sent to the police to immediately remove it.”

However, City Police Officer (CPO) Abbas Ahsan told Dawn that no such practice (using the EPF monogram on police vehicles) in Rawalpindi had so far been brought into his knowledge.

“No such thing will be tolerated,” the CPO said, adding he had already told the police not to use the force unnecessarily.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2019