NWFP to arm 30,000 civilians to counter crime

[LahoreEstate]

PESHAWAR: The NWFP government would arm 30,000 civilians in an attempt to counter criminal gangs operating across the province as authorities formally approved the setting up of an Elite Police Force (EPF) by sanctioning 2,657 vacancies.

The government would give 30,000 rifles to civilians after proper scrutiny by a committee, headed by respective district coordination officers. The respective station house officer (SHO) would recommend the names of civilians for the village defence committees (VDCs), which would assist law-enforcement agencies in maintaining law and order in their respective areas.

“After going through a thorough process, the government will provide rifles and permits to 30,000 members of the VDCs to counter criminal gangs in the area with the help of the public,” said an official.

The official said that Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti had strictly directed officials to take maximum care in choosing members for the VDCs to block criminals’ entry into the bodies. He said that arms would be seized in case a member failed to help the police in countering terrorism and crime.

It was not known whether these VDCs would be a part of the special police officers (SPOs), a force of civilians recently raised in all the districts, or would be functioning separately. Also, the government has formally approved the establishment of the EPF by creating 2,657 vacancies. The force has already been launched and over 1,000 cops have been assigned duties.

Initially, the chief minister has directed officials to release Rs 200 million for the EPF that would cost the state exchequer Rs 3.27 billion. Around 1,022 of these police commandos had passed out from the Punjab Regimental Centre in Mardan while a batch of over 521 others had been trained in Karachi recently. The rest would be passed out by the coming June. The newly-trained EPF commandos would be deputed in various towns of the Frontier to cope with the extraordinary law and order situation.

It is to be recalled here that around 600 especially trained commandos of the EPF had refused to be posted in the turbulent Swat Valley when they were given their first assignment last month.

Though the EPF had not been formally sanctioned that time, the chief minister had approved the creation of the force as a special case. It has also been learnt that the entire police force is being given five-week Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) training to equip them with techniques of fighting terrorism.

In addition, the government has increased compensation money for policemen killed and injured during the ongoing wave of violence. The family of a police official killed in any terrorist incident would be given Rs 1 million while seriously wounded policemen would get Rs 500,000 and those with minor injuries will be given Rs 100,000. The family of slain policemen would be provided accommodation till their tenure of service.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20501