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Thursday March 28, 2024

PhDs, MPhils among batch of new policemen

LAHORENewly-recruited 411 sub-inspectors (SIs) of Punjab police including 76 females have completed their six-month training at Sihala Police Training College under the supervision of Commandant Aamir Zulfiqar Khan. The trained sub-inspectors (SIs) have started rehearsal of passing-out ceremony to be held on May 16. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and

By Arshad Dogar
May 07, 2015
LAHORE
Newly-recruited 411 sub-inspectors (SIs) of Punjab police including 76 females have completed their six-month training at Sihala Police Training College under the supervision of Commandant Aamir Zulfiqar Khan.
The trained sub-inspectors (SIs) have started rehearsal of passing-out ceremony to be held on May 16. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Punjab IG Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera will grace the occasion.
Though the government had set BA/BSc basic qualification for the post of sub-inspector, 235 cops out of the total 411 successful candidates are either PhD and M Phil scholars or master degree holders.
The official record available with The News shows that 103 recruits hailed from the families of businessmen and 151 from the families of Government employees.
The IG had approved an SSP as course commander, four SPs as company commanders, seven DSPs as platoon commanders and seven inspectors as subject specialists after thorough scrutiny of officers serving in different districts of Punjab.
Commandant Sihala Police Training College Aamir Zulfiqar Khan set the objectives of the training course which include production of professionally competent, socially responsive and service oriented police officers. The training course was selected to meet the new trends of crimes and criminals in the 21st century.
Course commander SSP Ali Mohsin Kazmi ensured the completion of training in three terms which started on August 23, 2014 and finished on April 30, 2015.
One can criticise the Thana culture, the propagandas of pseudo-intellectuals in police department and political influence in police department but the standard of training for recruits at Sihala College, their character building and participation in curricular and extra-curricular activities is certainly worth appreciating. The resolve of trainees to combat against crimes and criminals for the safety of lives and properties of the masses was found unshaken during random interviews.
The trainers used modern methodologies of training including kinaesthetic learning and gender neutrality to get maximum results in field. The trainers were initially trained with the cooperation of UNODC. The recruits including females have been trained to operate, assemble and disassemble sophisticated weapons blindfolded to cope with untoward circumstances.
They have also got training of martial arts to strengthen their muscles against criminals. The crime scene investigation and collection of forensic evidences has become need of the hour to solve heinous crimes including rape, blind murder and robbery. The trainees have become masters in preserving crime scene, collecting forensic evidences and handling media in a highly professional way.
Following the mishandling of PTI Chief Imran Khan as he fell down from a stage in Lahore by a senior police officer, the trainers planned to give basic training to recruits about the handling of patients as first responders. The services of Rescue 1122 were taken for the purpose to save precious lives in critical conditions. The techniques of witness interview and other international best practices were also learnt by the sub-inspectors during this period.
During a visit to the training college, The News learnt that the recruits had memorised important sections of various laws to rightly apply them during the course of investigations.
Apart from physical training, the cops were also made fit academically as every recruit had to prepare six power point presentations on different issues, prepare case files of 14 heinous cases, write synopsis of four lectures of guest speakers and presentation of different assignments. The recruits also took part in sports activities including cricket, football and kabadi during the six months long training course. Following the pass out from Sihala Training College, the recruits will join Bedian Elite Police Training School in Lahore to complete fourth term of extensive physical training to combat against hardened criminals and terrorists.
One wonders whether Punjab Police would properly utilise these recruits or they will just be made part of existing force and the new recruits would be forced to forget sophisticated training.
Talking to The News, IG Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera resolved to take maximum benefit from the highly trained recruits. He said initially they will complete basic courses at different police stations. Later, they will be appointed in the investigations wing of different police stations so that they could solve cases of heinous nature scientifically and professionally. He said Aamir Zulfiqar Khan played a major role in training the recruits on modern lines under the vision of the CM to change traditional Thana culture. He added the recruits would not only provide justice to victims and their families but also become role model for other cops.