It's an age-old routine of police departments in the country: miscommunication leads to mishandling of a law and order situation, the damages run into millions and then some officers are made scapegoats.

And the December 24 rioting on the Islamabad Expressway was a replay of this routine.

The day began with a few people gathering to protest against the low gas pressures “ which meant no food, no heaters and no warm water " in the twin cities. In less than four hours, the mob had grown multifold and the highway had been blocked.

Hundreds of vehicles were stuck in miles-long queues, and it wasn't long before the crowd got rowdy. By the time the day had ended, two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) had been torched, dozens of vehicles pelted with stones and damaged, and policemen injured.

Given that the two APCs cost Rs15 million each, the toll on the exchequer was heavy to say the least.

The two APCs were part of the seven vehicles that the capital police had gotten manufactured at the Heavy Machinery Complex Taxila.

“APCs are rendered useless if their bodies are burnt. A bullet can easily pierce through it,” a police officer on the condition of anonymity said. “We have requested the HMC to examine the two APCs, and suggest whether they can be repaired or not,” he added.

Meanwhile, the blame has been laid on the area police for the rioters running amok; Inspector General Police Bani Amin Khan suspended Shahzad Town's Subdivisional Police Officer Khurshid Khan and Station House Officer Younus Gujar on December 26 for their 'negligence'.

However, in conversations with police officials who requested anonymity, it has emerged that the DSP and the SHO were not the culprits. Rather the fault lies with the high-ups of the operation wings who refused to realise the gravity of the situation and even did not send re-enforcements when the mob had gotten out of control.

According to the version offered by one senior police officer, the protest against low gas pressure had been announced well before December 24 by the residents of localities adjacent to the expressway, including Soan, Dhoke Kala Khan, Shakrial, Iqbal Town and Khana. A local political party played an active role in mobilising the residents.

Even the special branch of the police had alerted the operation wing about the presence of miscreants who were hardcore activists of political parties, and criminals whose intentions was to loot valuables during the protest. One police officer said: “The people who participated in the protests were residents of Rawalpindi, Afghans or those who come to Islamabad from other areas in the winter. They were not locals.”

As the crowd began to gather, the DSP and SHO requested for a police contingent, at least 10 reserves of police each comprising 20 personnel to maintain law and order.

Despite availability of 25 reserves, the operation wing senior superintendent of police made the request of only five reserves for the day from the headquarters but even this was not given to Shahzad Town police.

They were further told by the police control that negotiations were being held with the residents and they would not stage the protest.

The same day the city also saw the arrival of Chinese delegates in Islamabad in the morning, and tension in Sector G-7 as the clerics of Lal Masjid announced to lay the foundation of Jamia Hafzsa. However, both the events finished peacefully before noon, and the police had no excuse to offer for the unavailability of contingents.

As the number of protesters surged, there were only two police teams each comprising 10 to 15 personnel to handle the situation. One team was led by SDPO Khurshid Khan and the other by the SHO. Superintendent of police rural Faisal Bashir Memoon, Assistant Commissioner Noman and magistrate Hussain Bahaduar along with their staff were also present there.

The police control was approached repeatedly for backup but the request was denied several times. Eventually, the protesters overpowered the law enforcement personnel, cordoning them from all four directions, and got completely out of control.

“On that day, the expressway was like a battlefield and the protesters had trapped the police at different parts,” a police officer said, adding “during the scuffle with the protesters, it became difficult to save ourselves.”

After four hours efforts, the high-ups dispatched the police reserves to rescue the two police teams but the contingent got stuck in a traffic jam caused by the protest. Even the senior officers who did manage to make it to the spot had one of their vehicles torched. “Given that the spot has a history of violence, the high-ups did not rely on their past experiences,” said one police officer. “In previous violence, the damages had been to the tune of Rs30 million. However, they have made the DSP and the SHO scapegoats.”

If this version of events is indeed true, the IGP needs to revisit the report and take those truly responsible for negligence to the task.

Violence on the expressway — Timeline

The expressway is considered a waterloo for police and administration as it has witnessed violent protests in the last two years.