Daily Times

Although 12 years ago Chinot was elevated as district from a tehsil, it has yet to establish its Punjab Highway Patrols mechanism for patrolling at four check posts and highways in Chiniot. So far, it is being patrolled by the Faisalabad Region.

The incidents of robbery are rising on Chiniot highways whereas it seems that the authorities concerned have turned a blind eye on the issue.

In 2008, Chiniot was carved out Jhang district and elevated as a district. Since then, the Directorate of Highway Patrolling Police could not be established in the district. In this situation, the patrolling police officers are borrowing personnel and vehicles from Faisalabad and Jhang districts, but even these personnel and vehicles are not enough to keep a vigilant eye on the motorists to avert the crimes.

Chiniot district needs more than 100 personnel and more than a dozen patrol vehicles for highways. But for the last 12 years, the officers of Patrol Police Faisalabad Region was asking the Patrol Police of Faisalabad and Jhang districts to lend 45 to 50 personnel from each district for a period of one month. And after a period of one month, this officer is returned and replaced by other officers. Thus, the Highway Patrol Police is forced to run itsss work from borrowed personnel.

Similarly, in the absence of the Directorate of Patrolling Police for Chiniot District, a DSP of Highways Patrolling Police Jhang District monitors the highways of the entire Chiniot District. And the patrol personnel stationed on all the four highways of Chiniot are reported to this DSP. Due to the additional duty of monitoring the highways of Chiniot, the highways of this important district are neglected.

According to sources, Highways Patrol Police Faisalabad Region SSP Patrol Farooq Handal has repeatedly sent recommendations to the Punjab Highways Patrol authorities for the approval of the personnel and vehicles of the patrolling police personnel but to no avail.

In this regard, the spokesman of the Highway Patrol Police said that the highways of Chiniot district are of utmost importance. However, due to the non-receipt of recruitment permission for the deployment of these highways personnel, resident personnel of Chiniot and temporary personnel from Faisalabad are deployed in the patrol force of Jhang district. Similarly, the Chiniot Highways Patrol System is also being run by Additional DSP Jhang who reports to higher authorities. Authorities have written several times for the approval of four check posts and a DSP in the Chiniot district as well as the required personnel. It is hoped that this will be approved soon.