Pindi police get new weapons
By Mohammad Asghar
RAWALPINDI, May 19: The Punjab government has provided 300 submachine guns (AK-47s) to the ill-equipped Rawalpindi police to help it tackle terror incidents and control rising crime, official sources said on Thursday.
The sources said though the city district police already had 678 SMGs in its armoury, most of its personnel remained poorly armed. The induction of the latest weapons, they added, would improve the performance of the police and help it in controlling crime.
After the recent wave of terror attacks in different parts of Punjab, especially the killing of four unarmed policemen at a checkpost near Pindigheb in Attock, the city district police had requested the higher authorities to equip the force with sophisticated weapons. The department lacked weapons for its personnel performing duties at checkposts to challenge terrorists and other criminals.
Of the 300 7.62 bore new SMGs; 10 would be allotted to each of the 24 police stations in the district. However, the only woman police station in the city will get none.
The remaining 60 submachine guns, which were imported from China by the government, would be given to the Elite Force for the security of VVIPs and VIPs.
City Police Officer Azhar Hameed Khokhar said: “We have received 300 new SMGs as part of our drive to properly equip the police force in the existing security situation and to fight terrorism and soaring crimes.”
He said the need to equip the police with sophisticated weapons was felt after he visited some police checkposts in the city soon after assuming the charge about one month back and the terrorist attack on the police post in Attock.
The sources said during his visit to the checkposts, the CPO had found the policemen deployed there totally `unarmed`. Later, he moved a proposal to the inspector general of police Punjab to provide weapons to the police. The funds to purchase the new guns were provided by the police department.
After the provision of 300 SMGs, policemen deployed at checkposts would be well-armed to challenge criminals and terrorists, said the sources.
At present, eight pickets jointly manned by police and army have been set up in different parts of the district in addition to the five `surprise police posts` and 25 permanent pickets.
Currently, the police weaponry consists of three LMG, 400 MP-5 and 562 G-3 rifles, which are locally made and less effective to tackle terrorism.
In addition, the police have 396 revolvers and 189 pistols of 9mm bore. However, there was a dire need to arm the police with sophisticated weapons (SMG) in the existing security situation.
A police official, who requested not to be named, said the police were happy with the addition of the 300 SMGs as they considered it the best weapon.
Though the old weapons would remain with the police, efforts by the police high-ups are underway to replace them with SMGs.
The CPO said: “The new guns are necessary under the existing security situation. The terrorist attack on the police in Attock was one of the reasons why we needed such sophisticated weapons.”
He added that with the induction of 300 new SMGs, the shortage of weapons being faced by the police would be over. However, he said, the police were already having enough riot tools to handle any law and order situation.
Another senior police official said since under a new policy all police personnel would be deployed on picket duty, they would be well-armed and have enough stock of bullets.
“Yes, it would be a long-term policy that no policeman would be unarmed while performing duty at a picket,” senior inspector Khan Shabir said.
He added that though every policeman had the skill of using the SMG and other weapons, it would have been better if using sophisticated weapons was made a regular practice for the policemen.
(Daily Dawn)
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