It was midnight. On June 17, 2014, the residents of M Block, Model Town, Lahore, woke up in terror after hearing gunshots. It was as if some terrorists had attacked the vicinity.

A number of people came out of their homes; others switched on their televisions to get some information regarding the gunshots. As time passed, the media started showing live footage. The people learnt then that it was not a terrorist attack but Lahore police using assault rifles against the Minhaj-ul-Quran activists in a late night anti-encroachment operation. Television channels aired live visuals of police using lethal weapons besides baton-charge. 14 people including two women were killed and many others were injured.

Following the incident, a debate started about the use of lethal force against political workers. The provincial government was pressed to fix responsibility on the officials who had ordered late night operation.

In view of the Model Town tragedy, in August 2014, former SSP Muhmmad Ali Nekokara emphasised the importance of not using force when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) announced their decision to march to the Parliament House. The SSP was later dismissed from service. This has been blamed for inaction by senior police commanders during mob violence.

On March 15, 2015, a violent mob from Christian community burnt two persons alive following the deadly twin church-bombings in Youhannabad area of Lahore. The then Operations DIG and other senior officers were present but did not dare order action against the protestors.

It is worth mentioning here that before the Police Order, 2002, the local magistrate or the district coordination officer used to order use of force against unlawful assembly. However, after the implementation of the Police Order, 2002, this job fell to political leaders. Government leaders now issued orders for action against protestors. The orders were mostly verbal. This created a problem in fixing responsibility and police officers complained of frequent scapegoating.

The Punjab government felt constrained therefore to introduce the Anti-Riot Force, replicating an operational force in Turkey to counter mob violence and rioting.

The then Punjab chief minister sent master trainers to Turkey for training. At least 1,200 newly recruited constables, including 151 lady constables, were reserved for the Anti-Riot Force (ARF) in 2017.

A Turkish officer of SSP rank imparted training to the constables to deal with mob violence. Modern gadgets were provided to the force to deal with violent mobs professionally. They were also trained in controlling, dispersing and arresting violent agitators using teargas, paint balls guns, pepper spray tubes and water cannon.

The force was provided with batons, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, long range acoustic devices and water cannons. The staff were equipped with protective gear including riot helmets, gas masks and riot shields.

Under the ARF standard operating procedures, at least 25 constables constitute a platoon to handle 50 protestors.

A platoon is headed by an ASI or a sub-inspector. Out of the 25, one cop is designated to carry a teargas gun, another to carry OC gas and a third to carry paintballs. The rest carry batons and shields.

The anti-riot police are strictly advised not to use lethal weapons. The ARF is reserved to deal with law-and-order situations only and are not be used for any other purpose. In Lahore, the ARF works under the direct command of Operations DIG. The platoons also form layers (first, second and third) of security to stop the protestors from moving forward.

ARF members are required to complete a two-week refresher course every month.

In the refresher courses, the cops are trained to handle mob violence using four different formations. They are also trained to use shields, batons, teargas shells, OC gas and pepper ammo etc. Master trainers supervise the refresher courses.

Out of the four formations the ARF uses, the first is Line Formation that stops a mob from the front. It can also be called the first line of defence to stop protestors from moving forward. The second is named V-formation. It is used to provide a passage to some VVIP. The third is Roof Formation for which shields are used to shelter police from violent protestors. The last one is Circle Formation. It is used to arrest protestors from sit-ins.

Once protestors gather at a public place, the police commander sends an ARF platoon under the supervision of a senior officer to negotiate with them. If the protestors turn violent to the extent of pelting the police with stones, the ARF uses teargas shells to disperse them. If they try to assault the cops, the platoon resorts to baton charge. If a mob is too big for such actions, water cannon and pepper ammo are used to disperse them.

A senior member of the ARF tells The News on Sunday (TNS) that the platoons are strictly advised not to leave the designated duty points. In case, a member or two leave their place, the protestors can take benefit of the situation and cause damage to lives and properties. He says that if the number of protestors is too large for the ARF presence, it can result in a failure to handle the violent mobs.

He says that the major purpose of the ARF is to handle mob violence without using lethal weapons. He says lady constables are deployed to contain women and children as such protests are considered most sensitive.

In Lahore, the ARF handled the clash between doctors and lawyers at PIC quit professionally. It also prevented the Kissan Ittehad activists from ransacking properties in Lahore.

The ARF was unable to contain the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters due to their large numbers and political mishandling.

Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, the former Lahore CCPO, says that the major responsibility of the ARF is to ensure peace, protect properties and safeguard the society. He says the ARF is trained to follow intelligent, tactful and neutral policing using less lethal weapons, while staying calm and not panicking in the face of unlawful demonstrations, protests and incidents of rioting and looting violence.

He says the ARF cops are trained to ignore gestures made by and words uttered by protestors even if intense personal remarks and obscenities are hurled at them.

In 2017 it was decided to replicate the ARF across the province but no action was taken in this direction till the Sialkot lynching incident.

The Sialkot incident, once again showed the inability of policemen not trained in anti-riot operations to tackle violent mobs.

On December 4, the day after the Sialkot tragedy, the Punjab chief minister ordered the Punjab Police inspector general to restructure the ARF across the province to handle violent mobs.

The writer works for The News