Daily Times

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi on Thursday announced a four times increase in the pensions of martyrs’ families and added that their children would be provided with an opportunity to study free of cost in elite educational institutions.

While addressing a gathering at Police Lines, the CM said risk allowance would be given to police from constables to the IGP and added that a separate package would be devised for the ladies’ police. A follow-up meeting had been called next week for implementing the announcements made, he mentioned.

The chief minister said that only the heirs of police martyrs could imagine the agony they went through. The families of the martyrs would be given a special cash package on eid, he further announced. The CM said he would not allow the reduction of resources for the police and added the police should also strive to improve the institutional prestige.

IG police and martyrs’ children also spoke on the occasion and prayers were offered for police martyrs and army martyrs of the helicopter crash.

Later, talking to the media, the CM said new uniforms would be given to traffic wardens and their allowance would also be restored. The CM maintained that the work of traffic police was not only to issue challans but to improve traffic discipline. He said that 150 patrolling police posts were being restored across Punjab and new transport would also be provided to patrolling police, adding that the police hospitals would be improved to give free medicines.

Parvez Elahi maintained that composite police reforms were being done and the people would see the results soon. Meanwhile, the police uniform would also be improved and IG had been asked to work on it.

The police martyrs ensured the safety of the people by sacrificing their lives, he noted, adding that the responsibility of supporting the families of the martyrs would be fulfilled.

He said legislation was being made to improve the mechanism of registration of FIRs and false FIR would be made punishable. The FIRs’ copies in the monitoring section at the division level would help check the performance of the police.

Parvez Elahi said that early trial would be ensured in women’s rape cases and plaintiffs would need not go anywhere for justice. Justice would be ensured in the police stations and the Panchayat system was also being reactivated to resolve issues at the grassroots, he added. The common man was the focus of all efforts being made by the government, he concluded.