Police Station or scrap yard? Inside view of Karachi's first 'Model Thana'

KARACHI: A ‘model’ police station in Karachi which was renovated by the Pakistan Rangers Sindh and handed over to the Police department is in a dilapidated condition and is being used as a scrapyard, ARY News reported.

The historic Risala police station in Karachi’s Nanak Wara area was established in 1948 and was in ruins. The Sindh Rangers gave the building an overhaul, turning it into a ‘model’ police station.

The Director-General of Sindh Rangers, Maj Gen Mohammad Saeed had inaugurated the refurbished building in March 2017 after which it was handed over to the Police department.

However, the Police department has failed to maintain the police station in its original condition. ARY News report shows that the premises of the police station are being used for parking the stolen vehicles recovered by the Police.

The gate leading inside the Police station is open; however, it’s tough to enter the building due to still sewerage water.

The counters of different sections wear a deserted look as there’s no one to facilitate the public, whereas the LED markers to identify the counters are out of order.

Similarly, the CCTV cameras, although still there, are non functional. Most of the split air conditioners and the water dispenser are also missing.

Out of 108 police stations in Karachi, the Risala Police Station, also known as Eid Gaah Police Station was the first such thana with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.