Standing tall with nothing but a baton in his hand and heavy rain pouring down as he controlled cars zooming past him, a viral video of a traffic police officer in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, has gone viral online.
The clip posted on July 12, by Twitter user @naziajabeenIG, has been watched over 180,000 times.
Sharing the video, she wrote: “The traffic warden in #Rawalpindi is doing his best in the midst of heavy downpour. Please find few moments to appreciate him.”
The clip shows the traffic police officer, identified as Imran Asif by local media, working amidst heavy rainfall in the city while cars are seen splashing water at him.
Impressed by the dedication to his duty, social media users praised Asif.
Tweep @abrarahmedarbab wrote: “Such a dutiful and sincere person should be encouraged.”
While user @HumaAli__ praised those in civil services: “Unsung heroes.”
Tweep @shahjahanmasud highlighted the difficulties traffic police officials sometimes face: “Pandemic outbreak, intense summer heat or heavy rain showers, nothing can shake their resolve. Respect for them who are sacrificing for good of the society.”
Similarly, user @gigglypundit tweeted: “Poor traffic wardens, low pay, terribly warm and uncomfortable uniforms and having to deal with aggressive drivers in Pakistan on a daily basis…”
Twitter user @TariqParvezTP thought that Asif set an example for others: “What a moving example of commitment to duty by a police officer.”
Some said that the traffic controller was simply doing the job he was assigned, but also lauded him for being honest to his profession.
Twitter user @AdmetusV wrote: “What dedication. He does need to be recognised although he was merely doing his job but most would have run off and taken shelter somewhere but this man stood his ground…”
There were also those who were surprised that traffic in Pakistan is largely controlled manually by cops.
User @Khaaro1 tweeted: “I am surprised, why in modern age our wardens are controlling traffic manually, why the government is staking the lives of our police.”
