TAXILA: The Tahaffuz Reporting Centre has been established in Attock to facilitate subjugated, vulnerable and condemned sections of society, including members of the transgender community, homeless children, mentally and physically challenged people and young children trapped in addiction and social evils.

Regional Police Officer Rawalpindi Syed Khuram Ali inaugurated the centre. District Police Officer Dr Sardar Ghias Gul Khan, Superintendent of Police Jawaria Mohammad Jameel, circle officers and all other relevant police officials of district police Attock were present on this occasion.

In the centres, people will be provided legal assistance, social protection and complete awareness and guidance regarding all their problems.

RPO Syed Khurram Ali said that in light of the orders of Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar, the centres are being established across the province.

He said that our religion, law and ethics teaches us to protect the rights of weaker sections of society.

District Police Officer Dr Sardar Ghias Gul Khan said that a representative of the transgender community and a differently-abled person have been appointed in the centre along with a representative of the police department and a victim support officer so that the transgender community and people from vulnerable and marginalised sections can easily talk about their problems.

The DPO said that trained staff had been deployed in the centre which would provide help in redressing criminal, social and mental torture issues being faced by the transgender community. This centre would also provide protection to special children and underage addicts, he added.

Sub Inspector Sughra, deployed at the centre, told journalists that a record will be kept of all citizens who contact the protection centre.

Regarding the centre’s functioning, she said that once a case is registered, the in-charge will pursue it and assist the complainant, while taking the circumstances and nature of the incident under consideration.

Sheerin Aslam - a minority and women rights activist said that close liaison is being built with departments to provide more faculties and to resolve issues being faced by transgender persons. “Tahafuz centre is a milestone towards fulfilling the dream of a welfare state,” she added.

Earlier, RPO Ali, while reviewing the district crime control review meeting, with sub divisional police

officers (SDPOs) and station house officers (SHOs) has directed supervisory officials to behave more courteously with people and provide them with a true sense of security.

District Police Officer Dr Sardar Ghias Gul Khan, highlighting salient features of the crime graph has made a comprehensive briefing for the visiting guest officer.

The RPO asked the district police to accelerate their crackdown against gangsters, proclaimed offenders, rapists, target killers, robbers, car lifters, drug pushers, land grabbers and so on.

Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2023