It has recently been reported that the Islamabad police lacks 800 personnel to effectively enforce law and order in the capital. The shortage of manpower will only increase as there is a ban on recruitment and the population increases. The ban on new hiring is ridiculous and poses a predicament for the police department in the current scenario, with increasing crime and terrorism. It is important that this ban should be lifted and the new recruitments should be allowed, to relieve the prevalent pressure over the police. It is also very important that these enrolments should be based on merits and no political pressure should be allowed during the process. YASIR HAMEED, Islamabad, September 26.