Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Police have finalised a new comprehensive policy to curb child-kidnapping incidents and ensure security in the province. The policy would immediately be implemented across Punjab and all field officers have been issued directions in this regard.

Punjab Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera gave final approval to the policy during a high level meeting, which was held at the Central Police Office (CPO) on Saturday.

According to the policy, CCTV cameras would be installed at railway stations, bus stands, shrines and public parks along with its surrounding areas in order to ensure the foolproof security of the children and to control the missing children incidents in Punjab. Each police station would ensure patrolling in their respective areas along with vigilant monitoring of billiard and videogames’ clubs besides keeping an eye on suspicious activities.

As per the policy, all station house officers (SHOs) would remain in touch with the SHOs of others areas in case of missing or recovery of a child, besides maintaining the record of the abducted children along with their photographs. An SHO would be bound to lodge FIR and take immediate action on any complaint regarding missing children. SHOs and investigation officers would remain in constant liaison with complainants.

A gazetted officer in each district would be the focal person of missing children cases and would be responsible to dispatch the diary within 15 days to the crime branch. Strict legal action against professional beggars would also be started by the officers under this policy.

The IG said that no negligence, delay or inefficiency would be accepted in this regard and strict action would be taken against the reporting officers who were found to be guilty. He said that the patrolling around the markets and shops, where underage children worked, would also be the part of this policy.

All field officers would establish regular coordination with the Punjab Child Protection and Welfare Bureau, NGOs and local cable operators under this policy so that in case of any incident, quick action would be taken after getting accurate information about such children, he added.

Sukhera also directed the officers to launch a massive media campaign to aware the parents in this regard and to extend their cooperation with the Police department so that the 100 percent security targets could be achieved under this policy.