RAWALPINDI: Additional Inspector General of Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) Mohammad Akram Naeem Bharoka said highway crime, including robberies, decreased by 90 per cent as a result of patrolling by the police.

Commuters could travel on the highways in Punjab without any fear even at night, he added.

In addition, the PHP reunited 192 missing children with their parents during the last 18 months.

“Punjab Highway Patrol is also launching a special anti-drug campaign on highways under the theme of Drug Free Punjab, which will continue throughout the year.”

Talking to Dawn at his office in the Rawalpindi Police Lines on Thursday, Mr Bharoka said since the establishment of the PHP highway robberies had come down by 90pc while 192 missing children were reunited with their parents due to timely response by the police. It also helped reduce road traffic accidents.

Says Punjab Highway Patrol Police also reunited 192 missing children with their parents

He said Punjab Emergency Service Rescue 1122, the cardiology hospitals plan and the Punjab Highway Patrolling Police were initiated by the government of former chief minister Pervez Elahi. The rescue service and the cardiology hospitals are now serving the masses. If the present government provides resources and facilities, the Punjab Highway Patrol Police can also give better results.

He said under the plan to make the highways safe for day and night travel, regular surveys were carried out by the district police across Punjab in 2004-5 and crime pockets were identified on the highways. A total of 364 patrol posts were set up at a distance of every 35 km. At each of the patrolling posts, 30 personnel were deployed with one patrol vehicle. As soon as the patrolling police started their work, crimes on the highways reduced considerably, he said.

“Initially, 30 litres of fuel was assigned to each vehicle which has now been reduced to 10 litres,” the AIG said, adding the PHP patrolling vehicles had also become outdated and needed to be replaced.

He said there were one hundred thousand kilometres long highways in Punjab but the police posts, which were planned at that time, covered only ten thousand km.

The AIG said successive governments did not provide needed resources to the PHP.

He said the government should pay attention to the PHP and increase its resources, including training and capacity building of the personnel.The entire vehicle fleet for the force consisted of about 500 vehicles in which no induction has been made even after15 years.

“There are a total 12,000 personnel of PHP but 2,000 seats are still vacant,” the AIG said.

Mr Bharoka said Punjab Police Chief Inam Ghani, who is focusing on police reforms and standard, had tasked him with improving the PHP and he was working on it.

He said the PHP was launching the anti-drug campaign to curb the menace which will continue till next year.

He said: “We have to save our young generation from the menace of drugs. We will appeal to the citizens to join the drive.”

He also said there was no corruption or other complaints against PHP. There is a formula under which any officer who is promoted to the next rank should serve in the PHP on a two years’ deputation.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2021