ISLAMABAD: The Crime Investigation Department (CID) and the Rapid Response Force (RRF) of the capital police have been abolished and its staff and resources merged into Counter-Terrorism Force (CTF).

The CID was created under the police rules and remained a regular feature of the police force with its own police station. The RRF was established through an executive order some years ago.

Around 1,000 officers and officials were proposed for the force but only 370 could be recruited and trained since 2017.

When the CTF was created, it was decided that the CID and its police station would be merged into it, said a police officer. The CTF had three departments - operations, intelligence and investigation - and the CID was to become a part of the investigation wing.

CID remained a regular feature of the police force while Rapid Response Force was established through an executive order

He said in the late 2000s the CID was made responsible for countering terrorism, including interrogation of terror suspects. The RRF was created to counter terrorism and was supposed to carry out operations against terrorists.

The officer said CID was created under the police rules and cannot be abolished with an executive order.

When contacted, Deputy Superintendent of Police (legal) Azhar Shah told Dawn that the CID was never created under the police rules. The CID was created in the late 2000s to counter terrorism under an executive order and has now been abolished under an executive order, he added.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Waqaruddin Syed told Dawn that both the wings were abolished and all their staff and resources merged into the CTF. The step was taken after a notification was issued by the Ministry of Interior, he added.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2019