LAHORE: Inspector General of Police Rao Sardar Ali Khan on Tuesday lashed out at the Lahore police for failing to meet the expectations in containing the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

He, however, lauded the performance of the Sheikhupura and Kasur police in tackling the violent mob.

Addressing a debriefing session at the Central Police Office, the IGP categorically conveyed to them that action would be taken against the police officers who failed to fulfill their responsibilities in dealing with the TLP rally.

Senior field police officers from Punjab and additional IGs from Central Police Office attended the meeting.

An official told Dawn that the meeting was called to review the situation and the prime perspective was admission of professional weakness of the command failure and to raise morale of the police. During meeting, he said, the Punjab police chief snubbed the Lahore police officers for their failure in areas of tasking the force, planning, control & command, making formations, rescue plan and in the area of supervision.

The official said there were reports that the IGP rebuked Lahore police’s divisional SPs who defied the “orders” to stop the violent mob of the TLP when the protesters were carrying out attacks on the law enforcers to move ahead. The IGP said he was witness to the police officers’ disappointing role as he was monitoring the entire police action from the Safe City Authority.

He added that he was updated in some reports that many police officers ‘escaped’ from the scene.

The IGP also warned that the police officers who failed to fulfill the core responsibilities would have to face adverse remarks on Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs).

Some police officers tried to defend their positions saying they were reluctant to use excessive force fearing that they would have to face criminal cases against them. They referred to the Model Town tragic incident in which 64 police officers were rendered jobless after the police action.

The officers further told the IGP that the police force was not equipped with weapons.

The IGP told Dawn that he had assigned a task to the senior police officers to raise a new force to deal with the law and order incidents.

“We are going to reorganise the anti-riot force in all the districts of the province besides raising new strike force,” Rao Sardar said. He said the Punjab police would hire master trainers to impart training to the new forces.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2021