SIALKOT
The dilapidated building of the Pasrur City Police Station has started crumbling as it has never been repaired since its construction made several decades ago.
The police personnel are reluctant to do their duties in the building which is in a shambles with fears of its collapsing at any time. Rainwater could be seen oozing out from every nook and corner of the cracked roofs and walls of its rooms and corridors.
Policemen said that they do not want to do their duty there because performing duty in the crumbling building was a great risk of life. Every policeman transferred and posted at the Pasrur city police station preferably stays away from the building.
The policemen deputed there said that rain makes them sleepless with high fears that it would collapse at any time. They said that they were unable to take rest or sleep in the building after their duties.
Meanwhile, most of the policemen use their influence to stay away or not to do duty at the building in a bid to save their lives. The ancient building was declared dangerous several years ago by of the police and building departments, directing the officials concerned to ensure early evacuation of the building.
But the building has not yet been evacuated nor the police station shifted to any other suitable building. Undoubtedly, the lives of the policemen deputed and even the criminals kept and detained there are totally in danger. Several police from the other stations in Sialkot district also keep the dangerous criminals detained in the building, asking them to confess their sins or crimes by making them scared of collapsing of the building at any time, it was learnt.
The policemen were of the view that several criminals had confessed to their offences and crimes after being present there in this cracked building as well. Some senior officials said that several policemen were also deputed there in this cracked building of Pasrur city police station as punishment for the negligence in their duties.
The officials added that the department did not have any sufficient funds for rent to shift the station to any safe building. No one ever allocated even a single penny for the repairing of this shabby building.
According to the police officials, there were total 26 police stations in Sialkot district, out of which 12 police stations had been working in the rented places. They said that they had repeatedly brought the dangerous condition of cracked building of Pasrur city police station to the notice of police high-ups but to no avail.
Local social, educational, religious and political circles have expressed grave concern over this nasty situation and urged Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to look into the matter.