KARACHI: Pakistan Rangers, Sindh have declared the security of four regional offices of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Upper Sindh as unfair and unsatisfactory and recommended enhanced security arrangements.
Rangers officials asked the Sindh Home Department to submit its recommendations to the Federal Board of Revenue Authorities to enhance security measures at the four regional tax offices to improve immediate response capacity.
Through an official letter written by Sindh Rangers to Syed Saad Ali Shah, in-charge of the Crime Monitoring Cell of Sindh Home Department, the officials disclosed in the said official letter that the security audit of various taxes During the FBR's homes, some gray areas were found which were being highlighted. These merit considerations, it said.
The letter, added during the security inspection of the Regional Tax Office (RTO), Sukkur, found that two watchmen were posted during the day and three were working at night, having installed a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera on the main went. Installed at the entrance and inside some office blocks. A boundary wall of five feet exists without any fence.
In the Regional Tax Office (RTO), Khairpur, two unarmed security guards were employed during the day and two unarmed watchmen were employed at night and a boundary wall of five feet exists without fencing, besides an open area around the office block .
The Tax Office (RTO), at Ghotki, has a five feet boundary wall without any fence and an unarmed watchman works during the night. In the Tax Office (RTO), Nowshero Firoz, there were no departmental security guards working at the entrance of the building. All types of vehicles are being parked inside the building without any security barriers. Besides, CCTV cameras have not been installed and the building has eight feet boundary wall without any fence and no watchman.
Rangers officials concluded that it was important to highlight that the employment of unarmed security guards or watchmen did not meet the security requirements, such as the threats projected by the FBR in the above RTO. All of the above locations are located within a 15-20 minute response time of the nearby set-up of Pakistan Rangers (Sindh). In addition, the said places are being covered through increased vigilance and patrolling in the area.
Therefore, it is suggested that the appointment of Rangers Static Guards in the above tax offices is not considered as a viable option. It is further recommended that the FBRs may be directed to depute armed security guards or watchmen of reputed private security companies to erect the boundary wall of the premises for the security of the mentioned RTOs on their own. These measures can enhance the immediate response capability of the said RTO.