LAHORE: The home department has approved the proposal of the Punjab police for the bifurcation of the Rawalpindi’s Saddar division in order to raise a new division comprising two sub-divisions and as many police stations in Murree with a prime purpose of strengthening the existing policing system.

The development came in the wake of the recent tragic incident in which many citizens had died after they got trapped in heavy snowfall in Murree.

The police department is of the view that the upgrade of the administrative set-up in Murree will help raise the police supervision to prevent deaths in the hilly area.

After initial approval, the home department has sent the proposal/summary to Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar for final consideration.

New post of Kohsar division SP to be created

In the summary, the Punjab police has proposed to the government the establishment of a new Kohsar division in Murree making bifurcation of Saddar division of Rawalpindi district.

It has recommended creation of a new post of divisional superintendent of police (SP) (BS-18) in Murree in order to ensure presence of 18 ranked police officers in the most visited hill station.

Earlier, the Saddar division SP was supervising the security, law and order and other crime related matters of the Murree from his office set up in Rawalpindi.

In the summary, the Punjab police department gave a justification, saying during a visit to the Murree in the wake of the tragic incident, the chief minister had desired creation of division named ‘Kohsar division’ comprising two sub-divisions - Murree and Kotli Sattian – in order to strengthen the existing administrative set-up for overseeing affairs of the police more effectively.

“The city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi also intimated that a case for establishment of two new police stations i.e. Phagwari and Patriata by bifurcation of existing police station in Murree has already been moved to central police officer Punjab on March 2, 2021,” reads the summary of the Punjab police department.

Since then, it says, the above-mentioned proposal was under process at the Punjab home department with no progress.

After approval of the proposal, the total number of the police stations in sub-division Murree shall be three.

“However, the case for recruitment, logistic resources, offices, accommodation, human resources/allied staff, shall be submitted separately,” reads the document.

Moreover, keeping in view the urgency of the situation, it is proposed that the newly posted SP Kohsar division, Rawalpindi, can be accommodated in the building of old police station [Murree] on a makeshift basis.

The police department has also proposed that a vehicle may kindly be provided from the pool of Punjab motor transport department, Lahore.

The Rawalpindi CPO has been directed to provide necessary human resources in this regard from existing resources.

“The post of SP Kohsar division will subsequently be converted to the post of SP investigation as and when Tehsil Murree is upgraded as district and post of district police officer (DPO) will be created along with other paraphernalia,” reads the summary.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2022