‘Alien’ police, LEAs staying in federal capital against the law

Islamabad:Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Dr. Akbar Nasir has written a letter to the Interior Ministry, seeking advice regarding ‘alien’ police and law enforcement agencies staying in the federal capital against law and what steps could be taken in wake of the situation, the reliable source from the ministry of interior disclosed to 'The News' here Monday.

“Addressing the federal secretary of interior, the IGP Islamabad has sought advice as to how long these ‘alien’ police forces from other provinces and areas as well as the Frontier Constabulary and police could be allowed to stay in the federal capital and whether they officially need to inform about their presence and duration of stay in the federal capital or not?” the sources maintained.

The IGP confirmed the report when contacted by this correspondent to seek his version, saying that some information was received about the objectionable activities in Islamabad. “The FC has camped around the residence of PTI Chairman at Banni Gala without providing information or getting permission from the Interior Ministry or the Islamabad police.”

There is a serious concern among the government circles regarding the presence of ‘Alien Police and LEAs (Law enforcement agencies) present at some undesirable locations without the permission of the Federal Capital Police, in their uniforms or without the official dress.

The sources said that the top ranks of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Police are looking at the situation with serious concern as they believe that in wake of the possible second call for the long march by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman, Imran Khan, could lead to some serious consequences.

It was learnt that there are sizable contingents of law enforcement agencies from the Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa (KP), the Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) as well as the contingent of the Frontier Constabulary (FC) and even Rangers in Islamabad.

The government sources said that this particular police, FC, and Rangers contingents have not been called in by the Federal Government in aid to the ICT Police to maintain the law and order situation in the federal capital.

However, this is not the first time that a provincial police contingent has arrived in the federal capital without intimation to the concerned offices or the Chief of ICT Police and had performed duties in uniform at certain locations or had escorted certain people all over the federal capital.

Recently, the Sindh Police had come to the federal capital without fulfilling the required formalities and had performed duties in the Sindh House and had escorted people in the federal capital in all directions and to all places. Sources told this scribe that most of these FC men, many of them in civvies, are present inside or around the residence of the former prime minister Imran Khan in Bani Gala.

It is believed that the police, FC, and Rangers squads from other provinces and governments have been deployed to prevent any attempt by the government to raid Bani Gala to arrest the former prime minister. But, if any such attempt was made by the government to arrest the former prime minister from Bani Gala, it could lead to a serious clash between these forces.

There are unconfirmed reports circulating among the official circles that some of these FC officials in uniforms as well as the KP, GB, and AJK police formations quietly mingled with the forces deployed to prevent the power show of PTI on May 27 in Islamabad and they even helped the long march participants enter the federal capital.

It is believed among the official circles that these forces from KP, GB, and the AJK entered the federal capital when the long march participants, led by the respective chief ministers and the prime minister of the AJK came to the federal capital to take part in the rally.

The police force from other provinces, the FC or the Rangers could only come to the federal capital in full gear when they are called out by the Interior Ministry. The Interior Ministry had already asked for an additional regular and anti-riot police force from the Punjab Province as well as from others in addition to the contingent of FC and Rangers.

But this additional presence of police, FC, or Rangers from other provinces and governments is irking the concerned quarters in the federal capital. It was learnt that the official circles were concerned about this ‘unlawful presence in the town of police, FC, and Rangers from outside ICT, especially when the PTI is already flexing its muscles for a second-long march towards the federal capital any time in the near future.

They believe that the presence of these ‘uninvited’ forces can cause serious security problems in face of any such situation like the one people recently saw in the federal capital in wake of the last long march by the PTI.