LAHORE: Police posts and stations on private properties are not a common scene in Pakistan. A few such installations, however, can be seen in Vehari, Nankana Sahib and Kasur districts, police record show.
In Nankana Sahib alone, three police posts or kiosks stand at private lands. These were built at the cost of Rs3.4 million, all donated by the public.
Chaudhry Shahbaz Sharif is one of the donors for the Kot Hakim Police Chowki. He donated two kanals and Rs1.4 million for the police chowki. He says it was a volunteer act.
“I donated the land and Rs1.4 million for the chowki for the safety of my own village,” he told Dawn. The chowki was built on the road between Bangla Ali Judge and Thattha Sayan two months go.
He said their village located the road connecting Nankana with Faisalabad and Okara had become an easy prey for criminals. They would storm their houses and farms every other night.
“But not now, after the construction of the police chowki,” he said.
He says he is happy to see that road is safe for traveling at night. The area owns the chowki, and in turn the police also own the area.
The Nankana Sahib police turned to the public-private partnership after the Punjab government made a huge cut in police development budget.
The Shahbaz-led government released only Rs730 million development budget for police in 2011-12 as compared to over Rs1.4 billion in 2010-11.
Nankana District Police Officer Dr Haider Ashraf who has been on the forefront to develop the police-public partnership says that in the last eight months, police have got land from private people and built kiosks and buildings at six places.
The non-availability of funds forced both police and public to join hands.
Both the measure has yet to earn recognition from the authorities. The district police await the legal approval of the new posts. The Punjab police headquarters seem taking time to consider Dr Ashraf’s request.
In a letter written to senior officials, Dr Ashraf said the buildings had been constructed without any government help and “their legal approval will go a long in improving police-private cooperation”.
In the letter, he justifies the police-public partnership: “Nankana Sahib District was established in 2005.Despite its increasing population and crime rate, the district has been unable to get new police stations and posts. From time to time, cases have been moved to concerned quarters but unfortunately, we were not able to get sanction for new police stations/police posts”.
Now, he claims, three posts have been constructed at private land with estimates cost of Rs3.4 million. Also land has been donated for three other posts by people.
“Besides these kiosks, police constructed a Rescue-15 building through public-private partnership. Local community has made contribution in cash and kind for this building.”
In Vehari, the buildings of Mailsi city police station, two proper posts and as many check-posts, have been built with the help of public. In Kasur, industrialists donated funds for the construction of two regular chowkis.
The public cooperation in police infrastructure has also been happening in the developed countries like the US and the UK.
Despite such exemplary measures in Nankana Sahib, Kasur and Vehari districts, police authorities have yet to develop a mechanism to engage community at a large scale to improve policing.
FUND SHORTAGE: As police lack funds, opportunities abound for lawless elements, official statistics available at the Punjab police website say.
Up to 102,619 cases of crime against property were reported across the province in the first 11 months of 2011. The motorcycle theft, robbery and burglary topped the chart with over all 52,939 cases during the period.
Police say it face severe shortage of funds to fight crimes. According to police record, of 706 police stations of Punjab, 325 are located in commercial properties, rented buildings and in offices of other departments.