GUJRAT: Fleeing of the back-up force and acutin teargas shellsupply incapacitated the frontline police personnel to contain rioters of the proscribed Tehreek-iLabbaik Pakistan (TLP) near Sadhoke town on Oct 27, complains a sub-inspector (SI) in his letter to the police high command.

Some police officials witness to the TLP march on Islamabad told Dawn the negligence of senior officers commanding the law-enforcement agencies` resistance at Sadholce had put the lives of at least 60 policemen at stake by not ensuring continued supply of teargas shells as the frontline force had managed to push back the violent TLP workers.

The SI belonging to Gujranwalarange wrote a letter to the Punjab inspector general of police on Nov 2 narrating the ordeal of the frontline force.

Questioning the security plan, he said it should have been checked whether it could tackle such situations or if a plan copy-pasted at the security branch was applicable in those circumstances.

He said he along with at least 60 personnel had been performing duty on the frontline near Sadhoke on Oct 27 to stop the violent TLP march.

Several containers had been placed along the GT Road and a large number of police and other LEA personnel were present as a back-up when at least 200 T LP men attacked them with stones and clubs.

They managed to push back the attackers, but gradually the supply of teargas shells started running out and when the frontline officialslooked bacl(, the back-up force was seen fleeing along with the containers, which extremely demoralised them.

On witnessing this, the official wrote in the letter, the frontline force started to step back while firing single or double teargas shells in the air and finally evacuated the area, as their lives were at stake.

What added insult to injury, he lamented, was when he found out the next day through news channels that police had been placed under the command of Rangers whose personnel he claimed were the first to flee the Sadhoke area along with other policemen. He added that he felt insulted because of this and responsibility should be fixed for it.

He demanded constitution of an inquiry committee comprising senior officers to identify those who displayed cowardice and revisit theway security plans were prepared.

The committee should also submit recommendations to transform the police and equip it with modern technology.

Following the police`s withdrawal, the TLP marchers moved ahead and reached Wazirabad on Oct 29 where strict security measures such as trenches, at least100 containers and large vehicles and deployment of Rangers along with police at Chenab toll plaza restricted their further movement.

The marchers are still camped in a park in Wazirabad city for a week even after the government reached an agreement with the group to call off the protest. The bridges over the Chenab have been blocked for over two weeks causing great inconvenience to locals, as long queues of vehicles are seen taking alternate routes.