RAWALPINDI: The Punjab police tasked with maintaining law-and-order situations across Punjab have been barred from carrying weapons, only the city police officers (CPOs), district police officers (DPOs) and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) are authorised to carry armed guards with them.

In a communiqué to all the divisional police chiefs, CPO and DPOs, the Additional Inspector General Operations Zahid Nawaz stated no police officer will be allowed to carry armed guards, except CPOs, DPOs and SSPs of the districts. Apart from these officers, no officer or official will carry firearms.

The letter was sent to the DPOs of the districts, including CCPO Lahore, RPO, CPO Rawalpindi, RPOs and CPOs across Punjab. In Rawalpindi too, police officers and forces have been instructed not to carry weapons during law-and-order duties.

Only the CPOs, SSPs, DPOs of districts will be authorised to keep armed police guards with them, while the police force tasked with maintaining law and order will be equipped with riot gear including tear gas guns, shells and batons to manage potential unrest.

A senior police officer said that the move to bar police from carrying weapons during law-and-order duty was taken to avoid any serious situation in case of violent protests.

On the other hand, the district administration and police have blocked Faizabad, 6th Road, Carriage factory and Soan Bridge with freight containers and heavy vehicles – apparently to block the way of political party protesters, which caused hardships for office goers, traders and students.

In Rawalpindi, road blockades severely hampered movement, particularly affecting students preparing for exams and those trying to reach their destinations. Traffic on Potohar Avenue (also known as Soan Road) was heavily disrupted, forcing commuters travelling from Rawat to Katcheri Chowk to take alternate routes, causing considerable inconvenience.

The police had already restricted vehicular movement on Double Road near the Cricket Stadium due to a match between Bangladesh and Pakistan.

However, the traffic police spokesman said that the Chief Traffic Officer had been in the field throughout the day to maintain the traffic.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2024