ISLAMABAD: The capital police have increased the fees of its various services besides imposing new ones on two other services.

Officers of the capital police told Dawn that the police imposed a Rs1,000 fee on issuing character certificates. Earlier, the character certificates were issued to the applicants free of cost. Character certificates from police are required for students to get admission to educational institutions. Many organisations also seek a police-issued character certificate while giving job to an applicant.

Likewise, the service of police general verification was also provided to citizens free of cost. Now a fee of Rs1,000 has been introduced for the service.

The foreigners’ registration fee has also been increased to Rs1,000 from Rs200 while the motorcycle and vehicle verification fee have been jacked up to Rs1,000 and Rs1,500 from Rs500 and Rs1,000, respectively.

New fee imposed on issuance of character certificate; motorcycle, vehicle verification to cost Rs1,000 and Rs1,500, respectively

The vehicle forensic verification fee has also been increased to Rs3,500 from Rs2,500.

In this regard, a notification was issued from the office of the Inspector General of Police which stated that upon recommendation of the executive board, the fees are being notified for various services with immediate effect.

All concerned in-charges/operations posted in different facilitation centres shall ensure collection of above mentioned fees and deposit the same along with statements generated from their respective IDs in the welfare account of the police.

Meanwhile, the capital police have also stared advertising another business venture by offering the facility of swimming at Police Lines Headquarters, the officers said, adding the advertisement was made on police official X account, offering admission to swimming training. The fee of a fortnight package has been fixed at Rs20,000 per individual.

Amid no let-up in crime across the capital, the police have introduced a number of commercial ventures, the officers said besides imposing fees and increasing the existing ones on a number of services.

The police have also set up a security company ‘Special Police Officer’ to provide services of guards to private parties.

Another business venture of the police is ‘Weapon Handling Course’, the officers said. In December 2023, training by the police and issuance of a certificate were made mandatory by police for those obtaining arms licences from the capital administration or the interior ministry.

A fee of Rs7,000 is charged for the six-hour-long two-day training, adding the police had also introduced a “self-defence course,” and the fee for the two week course was Rs20,000 while Rs5,000 were charged for a day course.

Likewise, the police have also a business called ‘Community Horse Riding Club’, in which a monthly fee of Rs15,000 is charged for horse riding training, the officers added.

The other business ventures of the police are a summer camp and a newly-introduced winter camp, respectably. The camps are organised for children after they pay a Rs25,000 fee.

Besides, the police also charge Rs4,000 and Rs2,500 for issuing cards for entry to Diplomatic Enclave with an expiry of a year.

The fees collected by the police for all these business ventures are received in cash and deposited in one of the accounts of the police department, the officers added.

Despite repeated attempts, the spokesman for the police was not available for comments. However, he later sent to Dawn a text message stating: “I’ll call you back.” But till filing of this report on Tuesday night, he was neither available nor called back.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2024