In March 2003, former chief minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi had set up the Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) to supplement the police force. The highway patrol force was to improve policing and control crime on the provincial highways.

But eight years later it has failed to live up to expectations for many as the force suffers from administrative and functional restraints so much so that officials feel that it would be better off being absorbed into the regular police force.

Even though the PHP has had its own uniform and pay scale and was not to work with the regular police, it comes under the direct command of the Additional Inspector General of Police Punjab.

Afzal Kausar, senior superintendent of police, Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP), and the commanding officer of Rawalpindi division, outlined the duties of this supplementary force: “The functions of the patrol police are to serve as a reporting centre, keep highways clear of encroachments, respond and help victims of road traffic accidents and preserve the scene of these accidents. Furthermore, it conducts foot and mobile patrols within an area of 220 feet on either side of the highway.”

However, it does not have any powers practically to influence or enforce its decision. “When it comes to taking affirmative action, the patrol police have no such jurisdiction. The patrol police cannot register a case and has no mandate of investigating it either. If they arrest any criminal, they have to hand them over to the local police station, which will register a case and proceed according to law,” the SSP told Dawn.

No wonder then that a senior police official posted at regular police described the PHP as “useless”. “They have never intercepted any stolen vehicle or arrested any robbers. It is the motorway police who intercept stolen vehicles and catch culprits,” he said on the request of anonymity.

He suggested that the PHP should be merged with the regular police.

On the other hand, Akhtar, a low-ranking officer of PHP who only gave his first name, said that if the force were to work independently of the IGP its performance would be much better.

“It would be better to keep the PHP away from the regular police, otherwise they would follow in their footsteps,” he said.

He complained that the thana culture and corruption hampered their functioning. “We face so many problems in coordinating with the district police when it comes to registering an FIR, because they avoid it. Recently, a case of smuggling of timber was sent to the local police who released the accused, instead of registering a case,” he claimed.

He also suggested that they were being victimised on the basis of association as the force had been set up by former chief minister Elahi: “We have not even been given a pay raise for the last couple of years and special allowances have been frozen as well.”

At present, 450 highway patrolling posts are operational in the province. For Rawalpindi, more than 70 patrolling posts were sanctioned by the provincial government but only 30 posts could be made operational.

Many residents around Pindi complain that these patrolmen are spotted infrequently. Malik Miskeen, who has been residing close to a Punjab Highway Patrolling post (Bumla) Gora Gujran, (Bahria town phase 8), said that he used to see the highway patrolling staff while going home.

He said: “I have seen them patrolling in vans, picketing, checking vehicles randomly and standing along roadside, but I have never seen anyone of them patrol on foot on either side of the highways.”

When Dawn enquired SP Kausar about the alleged dereliction of duty by the patrolmen, he replied: “There have been complaints of absence of staff from duty, but now hardly one would be found absent from duty because those who were found negligent were punished.”

Probed further on the subject, he said: “I can't claim that there is zero corruption in PHP, but I can say there had been no corruption complaint since I have assumed the charge.”

Corruption or not, the fact is that a huge amount of public exchequer has been spent on the establishment of PHP posts and nearly 10,000 young men employed under it. Rather than scraping the patrol force, it would be much more suitable if a middle ground was found where there could be better coordination between regular police and the highway patrol force.