ISLAMABAD: A ban imposed by the inspector general of police (IGP) on deployment of officials attending courses or getting training on any official duty is being violated by senior officers, including the IGP himself.

About 350 police officials are currently attending a course at the Police Training School (PTS) located inside the Police Lines Headquarters, an officer said.

The headquarters also houses offices of senior of ficers, including the IGP, who banned the deployment of under-training officials on duty on April 13. However, the ban is being violated right under the nose of the senior ofhcers as under-training officials are being assigned duties.

The order was also violated a day earlier during the visit of the interior minister to thePolice Lines Headquarters when under-training officials were deployed on the security duty.

The officials are also performing emergency and law and order duties, including security duties around accountability courts.

The exemption was given to under-training officials and those attending courses to avoid disturbance to their training schedules.

The police officer told Dawn that the ban was imposed by IGP Mohammad Aamir ZulfiqarKhan on April 13 and implemented in letter and spirit for about a week. Now it is being violated by all the officers concerned, he added.

About 350 police officials are attending the course at the PTS and according to the IGP`s order they had been embargoed for all types of duties. But around 75 such ofñeials are given duties at the Police Lines Headquarters daily.

There are 15 pickets in and around the headquarters where they are deployed, the officer added.Besides, the under-trainee ofñcials are also sent on patrolling inside the headquartersand assigned duties at the headquarters` mess and different blocks.

The officials are also deployed at the accountability courts during hearing of cases against senior politicians. When the officials are given duties their training-related activities are suspended, he added.

The course started in January and is scheduled to be concluded by May 15, another police officer said. But so far the officials have attended only 15 per cent of lectures, classes and physical training.

First time the under-trainee officials were called for duties in the capital in 2007 and since then the practice has continued.

They were deployed on special duties such as during protests, sit-ins, for security in and around the city, including courts.

Due to the disconnection the time period of the course or training stretches from the original schedule, the officer said. Moreover, some of the officials sustained injuries while performing duties and as a result failed to attend the remaining course.

Police spokesman Inspector Khalid Awan could not be contacted for comments.