Daily Times

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab, Inam Ghani, on Thursday said that providing human resources and other facilities to the Investigation Wing is one of his top priorities to improve the quality of investigation.

The police chief said reliance on the effective use of technology and forensic skills is being increased to make crime eradication more fast-track along with increasing capacity building of investigation officers. IGP gave these instructions while presiding over a meeting held at the Central Police Office here in Lahore to improve the investigation matters. The meeting reviewed in detail the issues related to the establishment of UNIS, Unit Investigation Support and its operations.

The meeting was attended by Additional IG Operations Punjab, Sahibzada Shehzad Sultan, DIG Investigation Lahore, Sharaq Jamal, DIG Legal, Jawad Mehmood Dogar, DIG R&D, Shahid Javed, DIG IT, Waqas Nazir, DIG Operations Punjab, Sohail Akhtar Sukhera and other officers.

During the meeting IG Ghani said that all available resources should be utilized to further empower and strengthen the SPs investigation in all the districts of the province while all possible facilities including nuffree (police personnel) and resources to SPs Investigation for fulfillment of professional affairs efficiently should be given on priority basis.

He further said that a feasibility report on the establishment of “UNIS, Unit Investigation Support” to assist the investigating officers in all the districts of the province should be prepared soon so that the steps in this regard could be finalized.

He said that “Unit Investigation Support” would work under SP Investigation in each district while the head of UNIS, Unit Investigation Support should be at least an officer of the rank of Inspector. “Unit Investigation Support” will have close coordination with the investigating officers and implement the SOPs issued by them regarding the investigation department and implement the SOPs which are neglected due to overwork, so that the investigating officer can prepare strong challans and present them in the courts and the culprits can be given severe punishments.

He appreciated the proforma files of the investigation SOPs prepared by the Rawalpindi Police and ordered to start its pilot project from Lahore.

During the meeting, IG Punjab was briefed about the ongoing programs for establishing professional matters of investigation on modern technology. On this, IG Punjab said that it was his duty to transform Punjab Police into an operational as well as investigation centric force and for this vision, steps are being taken on priority basis. He directed the Investigation Branch Punjab to carefully review the proforma files of SOPs related to serious crimes of Rawalpindi police and if there is any scope for shortcomings, it should be rectified immediately and implemented in other districts of the province. Steps should be taken on priority basis to improve the professionalism of investigation based on modern technology, he added. The IG ordered that a working paper on the establishment of UNIS, Unit Investigation Support should be prepared and presented in the meeting next week so that its recommendations could be finalized after careful review.