Punjab set to raise new ‘riot management’ force

LAHORE: A summary before Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz calls for raising a new ‘riot management police’ (RMP), consisting of 5,000 personnel to handle large crowds and violent protests, Dawn has learnt.

The summary, moved by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Usman Anwar, was given the green light by the chief minister after he and DIG Athar Waheed briefed her on the significance of the force.

The RMP is going to be constituted under the controversial Right to Peaceful Protest Act, 2024.

Headquartered in Lahore, the force will be headed by a police officer not below the rank of DIG and assisted by a superintendent of police (SP). It will have eight regional offices, each headed by a regional SP.

An official told Dawn that the RMP would be made operational in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Sargodha, and its scope would be extended to other major districts at a later stage.

Sharing details, the official said the scheme was proposed by the Punjab police high-ups against the backdrop of May 9, 2023 incidents, which saw damage to public and private properties as well as injuries to law enforcement personnel. The 30-page draft of the proposed RMP was prepared by Lahore Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) DIG Athar Waheed, he added.

Talking about the salient features of the project, he declared that the RMP would be among the few police forces in the country authorised to recommend punishments for damage to public and private properties by protesters.

Proposed wing to have 5,000 personnel who will be specially trained in ‘non-lethal interventions’; force will incorporate trained dogs for crowd dispersal, be able to suggest punishments for violent protesters

“Attackers and organisers of violent agitations would have to pay compensation for the damage to the state and the citizens,” the proposed legislative framework of the scheme, seen by Dawn, says.

According to the draft, the force will be trained in non-lethal intervention techniques, communication and negotiation strategies with protest leaders, while personnel will be imparted psychological training to understand crowd dynamics and anticipate actions.

About the equipment and other logistics, the summary proposes advanced non-lethal crowd control tools such as tear gas, sound cannons, rubber bullets, electric shock shields and surveillance, besides improved communication systems for better coordination between field units and command centres. This anti-riot equipment would be essential for the RMP in controlling and dispersing crowds during protests and demonstrations.

The proposed RMP would also have, for the first time, specially trained dogs to help disperse crowds, apprehend protesters and act as deterrents to unlawful activities, as per the summary.

The scheme proposed bullet-proof vehicles for the additional IG and the DIG RMP Punjab, besides 650 other vehicles, including armored anti-riot trucks, water cannons, heavy cranes, loader trucks, armored ambulances and other specialised vehicles equipped with tracking systems.

Concluding the proposal, officials wrote that while a majority of protests and demonstrations in Punjab were peaceful, however, some escalated into riots, leading to violence, property damage, injuries and loss of life.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2025