Islamabad’s police will now be paid the same as Punjab police, announced Rana Sanaullah on Thursday at the inauguration of the two new metrobus lines in the city.

The Islamabad police had asked to be paid the same as Punjab police. It has been a long-standing demand, perhaps ever since the force was formed.

The financial impact is about one billion rupees.

Rana Sanaullah went on to announce that small changes, in fact of just three words had been made to the rules book, so that the FC force is empowered to be deployed as anti-riot police. A grant of Rs600 million will be used to equip about 2,000 of them.

The prime minister has also raised the rations allowance for FC jawans from Rs92 to about Rs200, which is what the constables were receiving.

Funds that were gathering for the payments of death grants, school fees, for the families of martyrs and those killed in service, their widows and orphans will now be disbursed. This comes to Rs1.2 billion.