ISLAMABAD: Rules have not been changed to allocate funds to the police to improve its working in accordance with the changing requirements.

The amount to feed a person in custody of the police was fixed about a century ago and this has not been changed. As a result, the police have to arrange meals for a suspect or an accused in its custody by minting money.

Police officers told Dawn that Police Rules 1934, under which the capital police work, sanctioned eight annas and six paisas per diem for vegetarians and 10 annas and three paisas per diem for meat eaters were allocated for an accused/suspect in custody. When the rules were formulated, 16 annas were equal to Re1. There were 100 paisas in one anna.

As per the police rules, the station house officer (SHO) concerned will arrange meal for an accused/suspect and the cost would not exceed eight annas and six paisas or 10 annas three paisas. The money spent under this rule shall be recovered from the judicial department, it added.

Amount allocated for police to arrange meals for suspects in custody was fixed in 1934, says officer

Under the rules, relatives or friends of the accused/suspect can also bring meals which will be examined for prohibited or injurious articles.

The officers said the capital police were working under Police Rules 1934 which have not been amended to meet the current requirements. At present, the SHO, investigation officer (IO) or Moharrar (station clerk) are responsible for arranging meals for the accused or suspect arrested or picked up for investigation or interrogation.

The police arrange meals by minting money from complainants, relatives of the accused/suspects, said the officers.

“This practice encourages corruption in the police department,” the officers said, adding all seniors/supervisory officers are aware of the practice but as they have no other option they keep their eyes shut.

There are honest officials too but they refuse to serve as SHOs, IOs or station clerks as they do not want to generate money through unfair means to run the operations of the police, said the officers.

Likewise, the SHOs and IOs also bear the expense of transportation to visit different districts and cities to arrest an accused and suspect.

An official at every police station, called Tamili officer,is responsible to serve proclamation order issued by court to declare a suspect at large a proclaimed offender. About 7,804 POs are wanted by the capital police, including 792 in connection with heinous crimes, they added.

Heinous crimes include murder, robbery and kidnapping for ransom. About 80 per cent of those involved in property crime are natives of other parts of the country. As a result, the Tamili officershave to visit their hometowns to deliver theproclamation orders.

Under the Travelling Allowance Rules, Rs5 per km and Rs2.5 per km, respectively, are allocated for using a car and a motorcycle.

Likewise, Rs10 per km, Rs4 per km, Rs2 per km and Rs2.5 per km are allocated as mileage allowance if the official has to travel on personal car, motorcycle, bicycle/animal back/foot and public transport, respectively.

The amount is not enough to meet the existing travelling expense. As a result, in majority of proclamation orders, the Tamili officer concerned submits a report stating the house of the proclaimed offender is locked or he is not present there.

Under such circumstances, those declared proclaimed offenders remain unaware of their status, said the officers. In most of the cases, the complainant also pays the traveling expense to theTamili officer.

The police are described as a corrupt department and everyone suggests revamping it, the officers said. “But no one tries to address these issues which are the main cause of corruption in the police department all over the country.”

When contacted, Deputy Inspector General of Police Headquarters Kamran Adil told Dawn that the capital police were taking a lead in addressing these issues.

Inspector General of Police Qazi Jamilur Rehman has introduced change management strategies that are aimed at addressing the gaps in service delivery of the police to the public, he added.

In this regard, a project is in progress that allocates sufficient funds for food for persons in police custody as per law, the DIG said. Besides, travelling allowance is also authorised, he added.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2021