Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has given the provincial police chief a one-week deadline to identify and remove corrupt elements from the force, while ordering that officers with questionable records should not be appointed as station house officers.
The directives were issued during a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister to review the law and order situation, crime trends, police performance and measures against corruption across Punjab.
During the meeting, Maryam Nawaz announced decisive measures against corruption in the police force and directed authorities to take strict action against officials found involved in corrupt practices.
She gave the Inspector General of Punjab Police one week to screen corrupt elements within the force and ordered that officers with poor reputations should not be appointed as SHOs.
The chief minister also sought a comprehensive plan to curb crimes against women and children and directed authorities to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against those involved in such offences.
The meeting decided to link the operational control of the Dolphin Police with the relevant police stations.
A September 30 deadline was also set to equip Punjab Police personnel with body cameras to improve monitoring and transparency in police operations.
Maryam Nawaz ordered strict action over incidents involving the escape of prisoners and approved the installation of GPS tracking systems and cameras in vehicles used to transport inmates.
She also directed police to intensify action against burglary and ordered a clean-up operation in Sheikhupura aimed at curbing criminal activity.
During the meeting, the Punjab police chief briefed participants on crime trends, saying robbery cases had declined by 54%, murder cases by 35%, car robbery cases by 46% and motorcycle theft cases by 53%.
Maryam Nawaz said district police officers would be held accountable in areas where crime rates remained high.
She said women and children were her “red line” and warned that no one involved in crimes against them would be spared.
The chief minister said maintaining law and order remained the provincial government’s top priority and pledged to fulfil its responsibility to protect the lives and property of citizens.
