1,400 trainees to assist local police in Rawalpindi.

Byline: Mohammad Asghar

RAWALPINDI -- Around 1,400 personnel of the 2,400 additional police called to Rawalpindi to assist the local police to maintain law and order during the upcoming Azadi March are 'trainees' who may not have enough experience to handle emergent situations like protests.

Police sources said of the 120 groups of police reserves, each having 20 personnel, 70 included 'trainees' who were yet to complete their trainings.

In addition, the police have also impounded over 290 shipping containers for blocking roads and streets if the government decided to stop the participants of Azadi March from entering Islamabad. They also held scores of passenger vans for transportation of the personnel.

Of the 120 groups of police reserves, 25 are from Punjab Constabulary, 36 from Sihala Police College, 20 from Special Protection Unit, which have been formed for the protection of foreigners working on development projects.

Additionally, 80 police reserves (groups) have been sent to Attock with half of them comprising trainees, 12 to Jhelum with 10 trainees among them and all seven reserves having trainees to Chakwal.

'The trainee police personnel are also being deployed and they would perform duty along with the trained police,' said a senior police official.

According to sources, 503 police reserves comprising 10,060 personnel have been deployed to different districts across Punjab to assist the...