LAHORE, May 16: Suspension of fuel supply to all police and prison vans has literally stopped judicial courts from working in Lahore, besides forcing policemen to arrange fuel from ‘sources best known to them.’ Dawn learnt on Monday that fuel supply to all police and prison vans had been suspended for last one week.

However, all official vehicles in use of senior police officers or deputed with VIPs had been receiving fuel supplies as per normal routine.

None of judicial courts, including three anti-terrorism courts (ATCs), could begin proceedings of hundreds of cases on Monday when more than 1,000 under-trial accused were not produced before them.

Prisons staff told the courts that they had been denied fuel supply for over three days, and they were now unable to continue arranging fuel from their ‘own sources’.

“Yes we have received a letter from Lahore police, refusing fuel supply. It says that police have no more funds to continue fuel supply,” ATC’s chief prosecutor Rana Bakhtiar said when contacted by phone.

He feared judges and prosecutors, too, would not be able to attend courts if fuel supply was not resumed forthwith.

The prosecutor said non-production of under-trial prisoners was a surprise for judges and other staff, besides creating problems for litigants.

Lahore police SSP (administration) Chaudhry Shafiq Ahmad, when contacted, said that city police were already Rs20 million in debt, that too, because of fuel expenses. He, however, claimed that the government had issued funds, and the situation would be under control in a couple of days.

“We have been arranging fuel on our own for over a week,” an official in-charge of a police patrol said on Gulberg’s Main Boulevard where he was performing his duties. He smiled when asked about the other means of arranging fuel.

“You understand it all sir. It is simple. We are getting it from people like you.” What else? he asked.

Police patrolling squads, which were already notorious for fleecing money from motorists and motorcyclists and even from pedestrians, have got a licence to do so, commented a senior officer on anonymity.

He said patrol squads had no option, but to snatch money from public to keep their vehicles moving.

“I admit police patrol just to loot people, and what to say when they have been asked to arrange fuel on their own.”

The officer believed if the situation persisted for some more days, there was a likelihood of suspension of other facilities like telephone and electricity to police.