SUALLY, official inquiries follow a mass tragedy in the country.

This time, however, a flood of committees has followed the en masse killing of schoolchildren in Peshawar by the tutored terrorists of TTP, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan.

And citizens have been urged to join the lowest-tier vigilance committees to become eyes and ears of the government in the looming battle against terrorism and extremism.

Undoubtedly, the grave security situation demands a wide range of measures by the government functionaries as weII as serious response from the public. Indeed, it is in the self-interest of the citizens to be helpful in uprooting a menace that has kept the nation on tenterhooksfor decades and taken tens of thousands ofinnocent lives, all in the name of Islam.

Since the infliction is largely home-grown, the general feeling is that the government and security agencies would have better knowledge where to find the terrorists and strike them down.

As the standard-bearer of the National Action Plan (NAP), prepared by the civil and military establishments for the long-drawn battle, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has been busy chairing the top tier committees to lay down the strategy and the battle plans.

About a week ago, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shanbaz Sharif came up with his plans after a meeting with the Corps Commander Lahore.

But old hands say that forming mohallah-level vigilance committees to gather intelligence, as part of community policing, is `a tried and failed strategy`more so when they are expected to outsmart and combat entrenched fanatical extremists and trained suicide bombers.

Still, the Punjab Home Department has dutifully passed on the CM`s directive to regional police chiefs across the province to constitute vigilance committees, involving notables of the area, as soon as possible.

As far as memory goes back, police introduced `community policing` and `watch-and-ward neighbourhood system` in the past too but the efforts proved unproductive for lack of interest on the part of both the public and the police.

Superintendent of Police Arif Shahbaz attempted community policing in the Saddar Circle of Rawalpindi after taking up his post in the garrison city in November 2013 in the belief that it was `the best way to maintain law and order and keep a vigil on suspicious people` but had to give up because of disinterest and his own displacement.

This how he described his experience: `We don`t need to constitute any committees in the presence of the Police Act of the British era only if it is followed in true spirit.` Promulgated in 1863 and still in vogue, the Police Act provides for `Chowki Dara System` `community policing` in the present day parlance.

Gradual disappearance of coIIective community thinking is the prime cause of today`s societal decadence where a poor person might volunteer to be night watchman for his neighbours but never a rich man worried about his status and busy life.

`Yes, the vigilance committees will be constituted because that is the order, but most probably would exist only on paper to die as worthless,` said a police officer.

Committees for spotting sectarianism, hate speeches and activities of madressahs have long existed in communities, with no check on their supposed ill effects on the society.

Police rules and state laws prohibiting hate speeches and wall chalking, aerial firing also exist and security and law enforcement agencies also exist but don`t seem to be alive. But before holding the police accountable, one has to admit that the situation requires more police manpower and stations to clear the mess.

Rawalpindi`s Regional Police Officer Akhtar Umar Hayat Laleka, however, is firm that mohallah vigilance committees are `the need of the hour` and will be successful as had been `the peace committees in helping the police maintain peace during Muharram when sectarian tension was high in the city.