ISLAMABAD: The capital police have started work on the establishment of four more police stations in the city, officials in the police told Dawn.

They said a summary in this regard had been moved to the chief commissioner office by the inspector general of the police (IGP).

Besides, the establishment of a Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) is also on the cards. The police have requested the commissioner to turn the Crime Investigation Department (CID) into the CTD.

In the summary, the chief commissioner office was requested to issue a notification for the establishment of the CTD police station by revising the notification issued on May 20, 2010, declaring the CID Islamabad as a police station.

It was also requested to change the nomenclature of the CID as the CTD Islamabad.

The IGP office also made a request to declare the Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLA) as a police station. The bifurcation of the Bhara Kahu police station to create another police station at Shahdara was also sought.

In response to the request, the chief commissioner office sought comments from the SSP office.

The officials added that last year senior police officers had decided to give the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) the status of a police station and in this regard a summary was also moved to the chief commissioner office. Later, however, it was revealed that a petition had been filed with a court in Sindh against the creation of a CIA police station there.

As a result, the matter was kept pending with the chief commission Islamabad office. But now the name of the CIA in the capital has been changed to the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) and giving it the status of a police station was also on the cards.

After the creation of the police stations, the SIU, ACLA and the CTD would get powers to register cases and submit their challans to the trial courts independently, the police officials said. Currently, the senior superintendent of the police transfers any high-profile case to the ACLC, CTD and SIU which work against organised crime, gangs and maintain the profiles of criminals.

Besides, the three wings would get the powers to register cases with the police station concerned after arresting criminals from their jurisdictions. After the completion of the investigation of any case by the wings, their in-charges send an opinion to the SHO to submit a challan to the trial court concerned.

However, sometimes the SHO does not agree with the opinion which helps the accused and also weakens the case, they added. After the creation of these police stations, their in-charges will independently submit such a challan to the court concerned. Moreover, they can also detain a suspect to interrogate them.

Similarly, the recovery made from the suspects can also be kept in the police stations of the ACLC, CTD and SIU for further action.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2016