ISLAMABAD: Ongoing promotion courses at Police Lines Headquarters were suspended as there is need for manpower to strengthen security in and around the Red Zone and sensitive buildings in the capital.

Police officers told Dawn the courses were suspended due to shortage of manpower as the sameis required to enhance security of the Red Zone and other important installations, keeping in view, the prevailing situation in the country.

Two terrorists, who were arrested from the neighbouring city of Rawalpindi last week, during investigation, revealed that they wanted to target the Police Lines Headquarters in Rawalpindi and Islamabad besides other sensitive places, they added.

Police have set up pickets at 25 different points, including seven around Red Zone and 13 at main entry/exit points of the capital, they said, adding that the pickets are also linked with Safe City through static and mobile cameras.

The deployment at and aroundthe important installations will also be further enhanced, the officials said, adding that besides this, arrangements are in progress for issuance of identification and entry passes for officials working at offices located inside the Red zone and visitors.

Strict vigilance is being mounte d at entry point s of the Re d Zone, the officials said, adding that it was decided to ban entry of vehicles with tinted glass and unauthorised registration plates.

Faces of riders in vehicles with tinted glasses cannot be captured through the CCTV cameras of Safe City, they said, adding that as a result their identification remains in the dark.Likewise, some unauthorised number plates are also hard to recognise, the officers said.

Meanwhile, over the suspension of the three ongoing promotion courses, a protest was staged against the inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad, they added.

Officers concerned considered the protest a violation of discipline, they said, adding that action against those who took part in it will be initiated.

A group of 90 officials each were attending the lower course (for promotion to head constable from constable), and intermediate course (for promotion to ASI from head constable), they said, addingthat a group of 30 officials were attending the upper course (for promotion to inspector to from subinspector).

Besides this, the other reason of suspension of the promotion courses is to start training of the newly recruited 1,607 candidates in the capital police immediately to make up for shortage of manpower, they said, adding that medical examination of these candidates is in progress and shortly after it, completion of their training will start.

It was also decided that police verification must be given to these newly recruited candidates during early stages of the training.

When contacted, public rela-tions officer (PRO) for capital police said that the protest of police officials was violation of discipline, however, any decision to take action against them was not in his knowledge.

The ongoing courses are suspended due to security duties, he said, adding that due to terrorism, the number of pickets has also been increased and extra deployment was made at the Red Zone.

Extra deployment at the Red Zone was made with assistance of personnel deployed at police stations, the PRO said, adding that as a result police stations are facing shortage of manpower and their routine work was being affected.