Elite Police
Encyclopedia
The Elite Punjab Police, also known as the "Elite Force" or "Police Commandos", is a branch of the Punjab Police
specializing in Counter-Terrorist operations and VIP security duties, as well as acting against serious crime and performing high-risk operations which can't be carried out by the regular police. It was formed in 1998 as a counterterrorism unit, but over time its duties expanded to VIP escort.
in Lahore
, when retired general Pervez Musharraf
criticized security around the team. Musharraf remarked that
The Elite Police were also extensively involved in neutralizing enemy combatants who had laid siege to the Manawan Police Training School
during the 2009 Lahore police academy attacks
.
The bodyguard who shot and killed Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer
in Islamabad on January 4, 2011 was a member of the Elite Police.
The Elite Force is used in a range of special operations including "high-risk searches, raids and rescue operations".
Members of the Elite Force are trained for six months at the Elite Police Training School (EPTS) at Badian, Lahore, by Pakistan's Special Service Group in personal combat, martial arts
, crowd control
, close quarters battle (CQB), and reconnaissance
. They are trained in the use of a range of weapons, including the AK-47
, Glock
Pistol, MP-5, and grenade
s. They can use different kind of weapons like Pakistan-made G3
, machine-guns etc. Their arsenal also included flak jacket
s. They are trained in martial arts and they have to face very bloody boxing fights during training period. They are often seen in black and green track suits.
Punjab Police (Pakistan)
The Punjab Police are responsible for policing in the province of Punjab, Pakistan.-Mughal Era:The system of policing in Mughal Era was organized on the basis of land tenure. Zamindars were responsible for apprehending disturbers of the public peace and performing other policing duties. At the...
specializing in Counter-Terrorist operations and VIP security duties, as well as acting against serious crime and performing high-risk operations which can't be carried out by the regular police. It was formed in 1998 as a counterterrorism unit, but over time its duties expanded to VIP escort.
History
he Elite Force was created on the order of the then Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sarhif in 1997–1998. In 2004, more funds were allocated for its expansion, and 5000 new personnel were inducted. New checkpoints for curbing street crime were created across Punjab and manned by the Elite Force. Their work drew attention in the wake of the 2009 attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team2009 attack on the Sri Lanka national cricket team
The Sri Lankan cricket team attack occurred on March 3, 2009, when a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers, part of a larger convoy, was fired upon by 12 gunmen, near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. The cricketers were on their way to play the third day of the second Test against the...
in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, when retired general Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
criticized security around the team. Musharraf remarked that
If this was the elite force I would expect them to have shot down those people who attacked them. The reaction, their training should be on a level that if anyone shoots toward the company they are guarding, in less than three seconds they should shoot the man down.
The Elite Police were also extensively involved in neutralizing enemy combatants who had laid siege to the Manawan Police Training School
Manawan Police Training School
Manawan Police Training School or Manawan Police Academy is the training school of Punjab Police which was the scene of the 2009 Lahore police academy attacks. It is located on the outskirts of the city, on a road to the border with India....
during the 2009 Lahore police academy attacks
2009 Lahore police academy attacks
At 7.30 am on 30 March 2009, the Manawan Police Academy in Lahore, Pakistan was attacked by an estimated 12 gunmen. The perpetrators were armed with automatic weapons and grenades or rockets and some were dressed as policemen. They took over the main building during a morning parade when 750...
.
The bodyguard who shot and killed Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer
Salmaan Taseer
Salmaan Taseer was a Pakistani businessman and politician who served as the 26th governor of the province of Punjab from 2008 until his assassination in early 2011....
in Islamabad on January 4, 2011 was a member of the Elite Police.
Organization
The Elite Police Force is headed by the Additional Inspector-General of Police, Elite Police Force, Punjab, Lahore. During operations, they are headed by an officer trained in a "Basic Elite" course.The Elite Force is used in a range of special operations including "high-risk searches, raids and rescue operations".
Members of the Elite Force are trained for six months at the Elite Police Training School (EPTS) at Badian, Lahore, by Pakistan's Special Service Group in personal combat, martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, crowd control
Crowd control
Crowd control is the controlling of a crowd, to prevent the outbreak of disorder and prevention of possible riot. Examples are at soccer matches, when a sale of goods has attracted an excess of customers, refugee control, or mass decontamination and mass quarantine situations . It calls for gentler...
, close quarters battle (CQB), and reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
. They are trained in the use of a range of weapons, including the AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
, Glock
Glock
Glock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock...
Pistol, MP-5, and grenade
Grenade
A grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
s. They can use different kind of weapons like Pakistan-made G3
Heckler & Koch G3
The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
, machine-guns etc. Their arsenal also included flak jacket
Flak jacket
thumb|300px|The two components of an obsolete British military flak vest. On the left, the nylon vest. On the right, the several layers of [[ballistic nylon]] that provide the actual protection...
s. They are trained in martial arts and they have to face very bloody boxing fights during training period. They are often seen in black and green track suits.
Equipment
- MP5A3 Automatic Gun
- AK-47AK-47The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
- Rifle G-3
- ShotgunShotgunA shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
- GlockGlockGlock Ges.m.b.H. is a weapons manufacturer headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, named after its founder, Gaston Glock...
Pistol - Styre Rifle
- Beretta Pistol etc