ATTOCK, Oct 4: Social circles on Thursday demanded of the government and police high-ups to abolish the Attock Khurd check post instead of setting up Police-Public Liaison Committee to monitor its working.

The Attock Khurd check post was reopened recently after a period of three years.

They were of the opinion that the constitution of the committee would provide legal cover to the check post to continue malpractices.

They said the check post was reopened in sheer disregard to the orders of federal interior ministry, which had closed the post in response to a number of complaints about harassment the commuters had been subjected to by the police officials at the check post.

Regional Police Officer Region III, Nasir Khan Durrani on Wednesday constituted Police-Public Liaison Committee to keep check on Attock Khurd check post.

They said when higher government functionaries were helpless in streamlining the police system, which had been on decline because of worst political influence and lack of checks and balances, then how a low profile committee could improve its working.

They said after the revival of check post, daily wagers hailing from surrounding villages of Attock khurd, were being involved to carry out checking at the post.

Meanwhile, the interior minister in May last year had asked the Home Secretary Punjab to abolish the police check post at Attock Khurd as it was tarnishing the image of the government.

Additional Secretary Interior in his letter to Home Secretary Punjab had said that it had come to notice through complaints of elected representatives that Police had established check post at Mullah Mansoor in the jurisdiction of Attock khurd police station, and had been carrying out unauthorised checking of vehicles through daily wagers and other unauthorised persons, which was causing great inconvenience and difficulties to the general masses because of the behaviour of staff at the check post, they said.

He said that government had already abolished an excise check post at the same spot on the basis of serious public complaints of abuses, harassment and numerable cases of extortion, which were also a source of a lot of criticism both in the provincial as well as national assembly, they said.

So, setting up police check post once again, is replicating the same dubious activity, which was being previously carried out by the excise officials, he said.

However, police were of the view that check post was helpful in eliminating the frequent heavy smuggling of arms and narcotics from NWFP to the Punjab and other areas of the country.

The Attock Khurd Police check post was on a number of occasion abolished after some serious incidents of malpractice and corruption were reported but reopened after some time due to influence of some hidden bureaucratic and political bigwigs, the sources said.