Gambling, betting, drugs-pushing and prostitution – the immoral and depraved are having a blast in the city of Rawalpindi. Long confined to the underbelly of the city, the unbridled increase in activities has the citizens feeling vulnerable and unsafe.

The public pressure grew so much that on Thursday the City Police Officer (CPO) Azhar Hameed Khattak directed all station house officers (SHOs) to launch a coordinated crackdown with the Crime Investigation Agency on outlaws' dens.

A senior police officer acknowledged that narcotics were still being sold in the city but actions have been taken to curb the menace. On gambling, he said the gamblers could be split into two categories: “One is of those who opt for gambling as a hobby while the other one is of those who gamble to get rid of their frustration – those are working class people such as drivers, small shopkeepers and labourers. Some women have been captured during raids on gambling dens but their number has been very little.”

Critics find both the public representatives and the police at fault, saying that such activities are taking place in their constituencies and that how could they not be aware of what goes on there. Many also find it hard to believe that the CPO – being the commanding officer of the district police – does not have intelligence about where gambling dens are being run, where the narcotics are being sold and in which part of the city prostitution is taking place.

It has to be noted that this critique is not unwarranted as this was the second such directive from the CPO to the SHOs. The last one had fallen on deaf ears as no action was taken to curb such activities; it was also observed that people with criminal backgrounds continued to visit police stations and meet the SHOs deputed there. To many citizens it was a clear indication that the drugs dealers, pimps and gamblers were hand in hand with the police. Hence, the latest directive on Thursday has the CPO actively discouraging SHOs from entertaining guests with criminal pasts at the police stations.

To prevent corrupt police officers from letting criminals off easily, the CPO has set up separate cells of CIA and police who'd conduct the operations with the help of the special and security branches of the police. The CPO has also warned that if any police official was found involved in providing protection, strict action will be taken against them.

Meanwhile, some political figures that had been raising concerns with the CPO were appreciative of the move and commended the performance of Gujjar Khan Police against gambling dens. But many also expressed their apprehension that the current action has to be sustainable and be able to prevent the resurgence of such dens in the future. Legal experts and senior police officials opine that the police will only be able to perform better if their appointments were based on merit and not politically influenced.