-Pioneering services like Rescue-15 made him a phenomenal police officer
-His tenure as SSP Islamabad and IG KP would be remembered forever
-His methodologies will remain in police as Durraniism, to be followed by many
By Makhdoom Babar
(Editor-In-Chief)
Nasir Khan Durran, former Inspector General of Police and a PSP officer from 10th Common Training Program (CTP) passed away in Mayo Hospital of Lahore where he was reportedly being treated for respiratory issues after being tested positive for COVID-19.
The demise of Nasir Khan Durrani as a high voltage shock to those who knew him personally and as a big grief for those who knew him merely through his action in areas where he served during his extraordinary tenure as a PSP officer.
Durrani was not known across the country and even abroad for being a highly competent and extremely honest police officer but also for being the most innovative cop with a very calm and composed personality.
Nasir Durrani pioneered a number of policing projects for enhancing abilities of Police to serve and protect the public while directly generating the sense of security amongst the masses and their satisfaction with the police department. His first major public oriented was launching of Rescue-15 service in the mid 80s during his posting as SSP Sargodha.
The 2nd Rescue-15 was established by him when he was posted as SSP Gujranwala. This 2nd 15 outlet however earned him the wrath of the local political leaders who complained to the then Chief Minister of Punjab that due to this Rescue -15 service, they were losing their vote bank as their voters were directly receiving the police help , without seeking their assistance for the same. All of the Punjab political hierarchy was not ready to have Durrani posted in their districts merely because of him being too honest and being known for bringing the Rescue-15 project with him. Under this situation the political leadership of the time found the best way out to Send Nasir Durrani for a high level Staff course at Bramshill Police Staff College, England a facility considered to be equal to Sandhurst Academy of British Army.
However, when he returned after graduating from the Bramshill, the problem for the political setup was the same and that was where to post him. After lot of pondering, it was decided to sideline him from the main field duties and he was posted to Police Training College Sihala, Rawalpindi. Durrani took the assignment smilingly. Soon after he was posted, Punjab government came up with the idea of recruiting direct Police Inspectors through Provincial Civil Services exam and thus a batch of young Police Inspectors got selected through due process. These young police inspectors were eventually sent to Sihala Police Training College, which was being headed by Mr. Durrani. Here Nasir Durrani brought in his Command and Staff capabilities which got added up at Bramshill. He developed a training module for the young Inspectors similar to the one that was in practice at National Police Academy for young Assistant Superintendents of Police (ASP), coming under Police Services of Pakistan after clearing CSS.
The way he started training this young lot of Inspectors, it was being said commonly that the Punjab government wanted to avoid Durrani to be posted in field but he was actually creating hundreds of Durranis out of this lot at Sihala. His training methodologies and his policing tactics were known as Durraniism amongst the police officers who remained close to him in service or got trained by him. As of today hundreds of them are heading for the rank of SP. While he was still creating dedicated, professionally sound and efficient police officers at Sihala academy, the government was changed and General Pervez Musharraf took over the national affairs. The entire police and administration hierarchy was changed and reshuffled. The biggest challenge for the new government was to post a very suitable officer as operational head of Capital Police. After a lot of discussions, it was decided to bring Nasir Khan Durrani from Sihala to head Islamabad police as SSP.
Heading Islamabad Police and that too under circumstance where army monitoring teams were out to interfere in working in the name of monitoring was a real tough challenge. However Nasir Durrani took this challenge with great resolve. Being a graduate from a military institute , Cadet College Hassan Abda, he knew very well the working and administration style of military that would help him to great deal while convincing military bosses at different stages of his service, particularly as SSP Islamabad and later as IGP of terror-hit KPK. At Islamabad, straightaway introduced Rescue-15 establishment which came to the national limelight as the introduction of this service at remote areas like Sargodha and Gujranwala could not get the national attention. The real art of Nasir Durrani was that he never used to seek extra funds from government for such services until the services prove their worth.
In the meantime he would always request fellow departments to extend help and cooperation. In case of Rescue-15 launching in Islamabad, Nasir Durrani requested the Housing Ministry to grant and empty small office of a housing project which was abandoned after arrival of new government, he requested Motorway Police to lend a couple of almost technically expiring patrol cars and a few motorcycles from Police lines headquarters. Later at the formal inaugural ceremony of Rescue-15, where IG Motorways was also invited and by when the 15 team had already created an impact, Nasir Durrani, in his address, expressed that IG Motorway would be generous enough not only while deciding the fate of temporarily given the old police cars but would also provide some more out of use vehicle. This was one example of getting the things done with innovation, dedication and smartness.
During his stay in Islamabad as its SSP, he introduced many other public service projects that include Safe Home Scheme, Reciprocal Bell Schemes, Public Conciliatory Committees at every police station, Forensic Sciences Laboratory, Mobile Crimes Scene Units, Crimes Record Office and computerization of criminal data of criminals and their finger prints.
The Durrani era was the most enjoyable era for both police and residents. There were ceremonies every other day by citizens to appreciate services and efficiency of policemen and the public-police gap cam also most to zeros with crimes rate tumbling down dramatically. The creation of Police Intelligence Unit that was meant to keep an eye on the corruption and deliberate delaying tactics by police officials was such a toll that kept all the capital cops right on their best throughout the Durrani era. The most amazing aspect of the Police Intelligence Unit was that nobody except a few senior officers knew as to who was made member of this secret unity so everybody was wary of everybody and thus delivering the best possible results.
At one stage, the Army Monitoring Team developed some serious differences with SSP Islamabad. The things were reported at top level and in first and only case of this nature, instead of removing the SSP, the monitoring team was barred to interfere in matters of Islamabad Police and Corps Commander Rawalpindi was asked to look after any matter that requires an intervention. Before this, wherever the differences developed between Police and Monitoring teams, the head of Police had to surrender.
When everybody was enjoying the situation, a terror attack took place at a Church in the diplomatic area and in the end the government decided to role some heads for the public satisfaction and in this very case, for the ‘foreign’ satisfaction. However, it was also the first and only time in the history of the country when the President of Pakistan, despite removing an SSP, publicly stated that there was shortcoming on part of the SSP but he was being removed for public eyewash.
From Islamabad, Nasir Durrani was posted to Rawalpindi as SSP Special Branch (Secret Police), a posting considered to be a punishment and a springboard too as no officer remained posted there for more than a few weeks. Perhaps that was the reason why the office of the SSP Special Branch was in absolute shambles and same was with the official residence. The state of the affairs of the working condition and working style was at its worst. For instance the personnel of this office, posted in field at different districts used to submit their daily reports through general wireless transmission system of the local police. There was no secrecy in this mechanism, making it highly ineffective and illogical as many times the transmitted reports were about the slackness and negligence of the police officers of that very district.
Nasir Durrani again took the challenge end decided to fix the issues and instead of making efforts for any better posting, he decided to stay on. He revamped the working style by introducing e-mail reporting system instead of wireless reporting. He equipped the field personnel with all the modern day gadgets and also designed their unmarked attire. It is pertinent to mention here that Special Branch Rawalpindi is also responsible for intelligence collection of VVIPs that travel from Islamabad Airport or PAF base and also the military top brass in the garrison city. It was all being done in extremely unprofessional manner until Nasir Khan Durrani took over. He also transformed the outlook of the office and gave the building a proper outlook.
He later remained Regional Police Officer Rawalpindi, Commandant Sihla Police Training College and Boss of the Robert Club, an informal name given to the premises of the Headquarter of Punjab Special Branch. Though he was not very comfortable at this posting as it was preventing him from typical policing and instead engaging him in a rather political spying, he kept delivering smoothly. He headed 8 districts of Punjab as District Police Chief and these districts were considered very tough and turbulent for policing.
It was in 2013 when the PTI formed government in KP province and requested the Federal Government to provide a new Provincial Police Chief. PTI had not given any specific name by the government sent Nasir Khan Durrani to KP as IGP, presuming he would be too hot to handle for the fragile and first timer PTI government and both will part ways soon. However, it turned out to be completely the other way around. Durrani gained the complete confidence of the PTI government, put certain prerequisites before taking charge and then…. he banged. He put his entire experience and his all abilities as the Provincial Police Chief and in no time, transformed KPK Police into a real, modern-day police unit with utmost abilities of countering terror and to combat terrorists. Whatever he did in KPK is known to almost everybody and the people of KPK are the best narrators of hit. He played his last innings very effectively, smartly and analytically. He not only transformed the business of the police and revolutionized it into a perfect combat force, but also made it very simple for public to avail services of the police at the doorstep.
After his retirement, the PTI government tasked him to transform Punjab Police on the lines of KPK Police and made him Chairman of a Police Reforms Commission. He took the responsibility with a challenge but just within a month he resigned from the job as he found he was not being given the same free hand and same room and atmosphere that he was provided in KPK. Some sources claim that government wanted to make him National Security Advisor earlier this year but he was not interested as he had earlier refused the offer of becoming Advisor to CM of Punjab.
Though Nasir Durrani’s demise has come as a huge loss for the country yet he has left a great legacy of innovative and service oriented policing for his juniors to continue with dignity and honour and with being completely a political.
