here was a lull across the cities. On the surface, the impression was that the security situation had improved remarkably.

However, with the new year came a series of terrorist attacks claiming scores of lives. The blast in the mosque in Peshawar Police Lines sent shockwaves across the country.

This time the terrorists apparently plan to target law enforcement agencies.

With the number of attacks increasing, the law enforcement agencies have increased their operations against terrorists’ networks.

Hardly a week after the Peshawar Police Lines incident and an attack by around two dozen suspected militants on Makeral Police station, a Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) team claimed arrest of two people suspected of being Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan members on February 8.

The suspects were apparently planning to target Rawalpindi Police Lines. They were arrested in a joint operation by the Punjab CTD and an intelligence agency. The arrested suspects have been identified as Hayatullah and Wakeel Khan. They were arrested from a hideout in Rawalpindi. They had been conducting reconnaissance missions and forwarding information to their commander based in Afghanistan.

Initial investigations revealed that the suspects wanted to attack the Saddar police station, the district courts in Rawalpindi, St Paul’s Church Convent School and the Police Lines in Islamabad. Some other places were also among their targets. They had scanned the places and sent pictures to a TTP commander in Afghanistan.

After the TTP ended its ceasefire in November last year, the police have been consistently under attack. According to the data compiled by the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA), more than 60 percent of the attacks have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Balochistan has been the second most frequent target. Most of the attacks have been against the police.

In 2023, the TTP has expanded its attacks to police personnel and establishments beyond the KP and the tribal areas. It has attacked in Rawalpindi in the Punjab and in Karachi in Sindh. After the Karachi Police Office attack, the militant outfit also issued a warning of more attacks against the police.

Given these threats, the police have tightened the security arrangements around their establishments across the province, including Lahore.

Police Punjab Inspector General Usman Anwar has directed the Special Branch to conduct a security audit of police offices and establishments and submit a report. The survey will evaluate the security arrangements, deployment, gadgets, weapons, pickets and vantage points. It will also point out any shortcomings. The IGP will then hold a meeting with DPOs and RPOs to finalise a security plan for the protection of police establishments.

A few days ago, the IGP and some senior officers held a meeting with the personnel of the border area check posts in several districts, including Lahore. He assured them of full support and issued orders to all RPOs and DPOs for inspection of their coats.

The Special Protection Unit, dedicated to the security of foreigners and the CPEC project, staff have also been briefed and asked to remain alert and diligent.

Security measures and SOPs for police stations have also been revised. The deployment of three policemen on guard duty at all police stations has been made mandatory; one with a metal detector at the gate, the second standing armed some distance away and a third standing guard on the roof at all times. The gates will remain closed throughout the day and no one will be allowed to enter without checking. Unnecessary crowds close to the police stations will be discouraged. Three police officials will remain in police vans to respond to any emergency.

The Railway Police have also moved to take preventive measures for the protection of important installations and to avert any untoward incident. Inspector General Dr Rao Sardar Ali Khan has held a video-link conference with the SPs of all divisions in this regard.

IG Khan has sought report on unguarded sensitive points and bridges and directed the relevant units to deploy security in collaboration with the provincial police.

Out of order security gadgets have been ordered to be repaired/ replaced as soon as possible. A shortage of bomb disposal equipment, metal detectors, walk-through gates, luggage scanning machines and explosive detectors has been reported. Round the clock trolley patrolling of track in close liaison with the concerned divisional superintendents has also been ordered.

The writer works for The News in Lahore