BAHAWALPUR, June 27: A full-fledged Riverine police unit comprising 200 constables will be set up in the Riverine belt of the Rahim Yar Khan district in the Bahawalpur police range.

This was stated by Regional Police Officer (RPO), Bahawalpur range, Malik K. B Awan at a media get-together here on Friday.

The RPO said the special unit, being established with the approval of the IGP, was aimed at combating the crime and launching a drive against criminals in the Riverine belt.

He said the unit would be provided 10 bullet-proof boats fitted with machine guns and as many vehicles equipped with necessary communication network.

Mr Awan said trained constables and expert divers would be posted at 10 police posts which would be established along the 80kms long river bank to launch operation against the robbers and control crime on a permanent basis in the ‘kutcha’ areas.

The RPO said that mobile police stations and a mobile laboratory would also be set up in each district of the range.

He said the government’s open-door policy was being implemented in the range and complainants had the access to the officers concerned for redressal of their grievances.

Six police officials were recently suspended from service for dereliction of duty as to the result of introduction of a strict inspection system of police stations, he said.

To speed up the investigation of cases, he said that Nadra terminal cells had been set up in three districts, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahim Yar Khan.

He said that the arms census was in progress in the range to detect the unlicensed weapons.

He said that telephone lines of Rescue 15 would be increased from two to five in the city for the convenience of the general public.

The RPO said that 12 gangs of dacoits had been busted and their 34 members arrested besides recovering Rs10 million looted property from them during the last month. He said the community policing would also be promoted in all districts.

PROTEST: PML-N office-bearers and activists organized a protest camp at Fawwara Chowk against the disqualification of Mian Nawaz Sharif.

The camp, led by district general-secretary Mahar Muhammad Iqbal, was largely attended by PML-N workers. They raised slogans against the PCO judges and President Pervez Musharraf besides demanding withdrawal of the decision against Nawaz Sharif.