LAHORE: A passing out parade of the new badge of the Anti-Riot Force (ARF) was held at the District Police Lines, Qila Gujjar Singh, on Saturday.

As many as 694 personnel demonstrated their professional skills and techniques to control and arrest the violent agitators and flared up protestors with the help of latest tear gas and tear grenades, paintballs guns, pepper spray tube and water cannon. They also demonstrated the practical procedure to provide immediate on spot first aid to the injured colleagues and protesters.

CCPO Ghulam Mahmood Dogar was chief guest of the passing out parade while Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Sajid Kiani, SP Headquarters Imran Malik, SSP ARF Sajid Khokhar, all the divisional SPs and others were present.

The CCPO lauded the performance of the ARF in maintaining law and order in the city and handling the violent mobs and protests in a professional manner to ensure peace, protect property and safeguard society as well as government against any unlawful assembly.

He stressed to follow intelligent and tactful, neutral policing using less lethal weapons, staying calm, showing no panic in the face of any unlawful demonstrations, protests or incidents of riots, looting violence and passion which threatens the very fabric of society.

He said AFF was equipped with modern gadgets including batons, tear gas, rubber bullets, long range acoustic devices and water cannons.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2021