Daily Times

Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif presided over a special meeting to review the overall law & order situation across the province. IG Police gave a briefing about the overall law & order situation and police performance.

CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif said,” I am accountable to 13 crore people, the police should control crime and one cannot turn a blind eye to reality. I will not tolerate any no-go area anywhere in Punjab. Crime rate will have to be brought down across the province under any circumstance. If the crime rate is on the rise then the people overlook reforms and development projects of the government. The police are laying down sacrifices but black sheep persist as well.

I side with the police and stand behind the force. I expressed solidarity with the police force by donning a uniform. We are providing complete resources to the police so that their performance cannot be reduced or eroded. We are introducing an analysis and inspection system in order to evaluate police performance and elimination of corruption. 14 special checkposts are being established to stop inter-provincial smuggling. We are meeting every demand of the police force in the shape of provision of vehicles, gadgets, ammunition and training.

It is our foremost responsibility to ensure protection of every police personnel standing on a checkpost. I laud the performance of IG Police, RPO Sargodha and DPO for protecting and safely evacuating 10 persons from a mob. More than 50 percent decrease in the dacoity incidents in Lahore is welcoming. The labourers being looted after taking their salaries is not only sorrowful but shameful as well. I have assigned a deadline to RPO Sheikhupura to overcome dacoity incidents. Snatching and theft incidents of sacrificial animals should be eradicated. Crackdown should continue to be undertaken on a permanent basis for the elimination of drugs.

The police should undertake effective measures to stop aerial firing incidents. A road getting blocked in the presence of traffic wardens is highly regrettable. The motorbike riders should be instructed to strictly follow lane discipline on the roads. Political intervention in the police affairs has been done away with, and the police should perform now. The DPOs should purge from their respective districts corrupt police personnel and criminal elements. An effective crackdown should be launched for the eradication of electricity theft on the DG Khan model. If electricity theft is eliminated then load shedding will end as well.” The proposal to establish ‘ Beggar Barracks’ in the jails across Punjab was agreed in the meeting.