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Fanling Mosque
Tai Po District (TPDIST) is committed to assisting the non-ethnic Chinese community in integrating into the community. During the Islamic month of Ramadan in 2021, TPDIST Commander Ma Wai-hing visited the Fanling Mosque in the Police Driving and Traffic Training Centre. There are about 150 Muslims in the mosque, half of which are descendants of Pakistani police officers.
‘Fanling Chai’
The Force had recruited a total of 150 and 50 police officers from Pakistan in 1952 and 1961 respectively. These officers were mostly deployed to the police districts in the New Territories and allocated to the Junior Police Officers (JPO) Quarters at Fan Garden, Fanling. To better accommodate their religious needs, a mosque was built in the quarters. Although these Pakistani police officers retired and moved out of the quarters with their families in the early 1990s, their descendants would refer themselves as “Fanling Chai”, meaning the children of the Fanling district. In 2017, the redevelopment project of the former JPO Quarters at Fan Garden commenced. The construction of the new JPO Quarters was completed in March 2021.
Nazir Ahmad’s time in the Police Force
Nazir Ahmad is 82 years old this year. He came to Hong Kong after being recruited from Pakistan in 1961. During his 33-year police career, he worked his way up from a Police Constable to a Station Sergeant. During the 1967 riots, he performed anti-riot operations with his colleagues in Tsuen Wan, with each shift lasted for a few days. Therefore, he shared a deep sentiment with police officers who had worked long hours to maintain public order during Operation TIDERIDER. Nazir retired years ago and he now enjoys going to the Fanling Mosque to pray and sharing the good old days with his young clansmen.
Footprints of growth of police children
Azhar and Safdar are the second generation of the Pakistani police officers. They were born in Hong Kong and grew up in the JPO Quarters at Fan Garden. They recalled that the Pakistani Police Primary School was situated in the quarters and retired Superintendent Mohammad Munir Khan was one of its former students. At its peak, there were around 200 students in the school. Every day after school, they recited the Quran and prayed at the mosque in the quarters. During their leisure time, they played football with officers from the nearby Hong Kong Police Cadet School, the Police Tactical Unit and the Special Duties Unit. Officers often invited them and their families to attend celebration parties during festive seasons.
Today, the second generation of the Pakistani police officers still pray at the Fanling Mosque. Whenever they meet, they always reminisce about their childhood memories together.
