RAWALPINDI: Following a demand by the Defence Housing Authority (DHA), a police post has been established at DHA Phase I to address residents’ concerns and has been made functional.

Potohar Division Superintendent of Police (SP) Syed Ali told Dawn that in addition to establishing a police post, police personnel have been deployed at points of exit and entry and patrolling has also started in DHA Phase I.

The SP said a quick response police team has been posted at the police chowki, as private guards already posted in DHA were not as effective at checking criminal activity which is why the police chowki has been established.

The authority informed its residents that a police chowki has been established in Street 15 after a longstanding demand by the DHA administration to establish a police post in Phase I. In case of any incident, residents have been told to contact the staff at the chowki.

Defence Housing Authorities have sought police cooperation to thwart thefts and robberies and had asked the inspector general of police Punjab to establish a police chowki in Rawalpindi to ensure a safe living environment.

Earlier, the management also approached the inspector general of police Islamabad seeking the police’s cooperation to establish a chowki in Phase II.

A chowki was established in Phase II that began functioning on Jan 4 in Lane 2, Sector D.

According to sources, DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi wrote to the deputy inspector general of police Punjab to establish a chowki in DHA I to combat thefts and robberies in the area.

The DHA management claimed they had been working to provide residents a secure living environment through its own security apparatus, which requires operating in close coordination with local police.

Separately, a woman drowned to death in an underground water tank in Khalid Colony on Chakri Road on Thursday.

Rescue services said Niaz Bibi, 52, fell into the water tank for unknown reasons. When Rescue 1122 staff reached the scene and recovered the victim, she had died.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2019