The bag dropped from a moving vehicle. No one witnessed this. But when it was discovered by National Highways and Motorway Police, they showed that there is still honor and integrity on the road in Pakistan.
GWADAR: The occurrence of routine patrols never makes big news stories. However, on the Gwadar Highway, a routine patrol of the National Highways and Motorway Police officers became a story that merits much more coverage than many ordinary news stories. It is one of the best examples of exemplary public service that has been seen in Balochistan in the last few months.
NHMP police observed a bag lying on the side of the road during their routine patrolling in Gwadar area. In the bag were pieces of gold jewellery along with other valuables that had a total value of around Rs2.2 million.
Protection Instead of Taking Advantage of Opportunity
The officers quickly moved to protect the bag. Without any delay. And without any secret check-up outside official avenues. Efforts by the Motorway Police return jewellery as soon as they found the bag, without being compelled to do so.
The identification of the true owner was a difficult task, though. The initial efforts to identify the owner via official means proved to be unsuccessful. But, instead of considering the situation as an impasse, NHMP took the matter seriously and systematically.
The NHMP personnel found a bag lying on the road side while performing a normal patrol in the Gwadar region. It is crucial to note that the police kept the secret of the jewelry throughout this process, which proved to be useful in avoiding any fake claims as only the true owner of the items was able to access the bag.
ALSO READ: Motorway Police Ban Vehicles Without Fire Extinguishers
The Owner Steps Forth
It paid off. The owner eventually contacted Motorway Police himself and supplied all the relevant information about the bag and its contents that exactly coincided with the information which Motorway Police had kept secret all along.The procedure itself was not at all an unnecessary ritualistic formality to stall the whole process of return.
The explanation of the owner about how he lost the bag is yet another dimension of human vulnerability. The owner admitted that the bag slipped to the ground by accident while he was traveling and he only came to know about his loss when he learned about it through the awareness campaign of Motorway Police. The loss of property valued at Rs2.2 million would have been a nightmare for most of the people but thanks to the timely action of the force.
Small Story, Big Lesson
Rs2.2 million is an important amount under any circumstances. However, the real importance of this incident comes from the message it conveys regarding the individuals wearing the uniform in Gwadar, as well as what this indicates about the standard that the NHMP leadership wants to maintain in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan’s highways network.
Nayab Fatima is a university graduate and an emerging media professional with a strong passion for journalism, research, and independent reporting. She specializes in developing well-researched, fact-based, and analytical news stories covering a wide range of sectors, with particular expertise in technology, telecommunications, aviation, and the automobile industry.
