Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered strict action against corrupt police officials and directed Inspector General of Police Punjab to complete the process of identifying and removing corrupt elements from the force within one week.
Chairing a special meeting on law and order, here on Tuesday, the chief minister ordered that police officers known for corruption should not be appointed as station house officers (SHOs). She directed the police authorities to adopt a strict approach towards corrupt officials and ensure accountability across the force.
The CM also sought a comprehensive plan for the complete control of crimes against women and children and ordered a zero-tolerance policy against those involved in such offences. ‘Children and women are my red line. No one involved in crimes against them will be spared,’ Maryam Nawaz said, adding that maintaining law and order was the government’s first priority.
She directed the police to take effective measures to reduce burglary incidents and ordered a comprehensive cleanup operation for the complete elimination of crime in Sheikhupura. She further ordered that district police officers (DPOs) in areas with high crime rates would be held accountable.
The meeting was informed that the overall crime situation in Punjab was showing a clear declining trend. According to the briefing, robbery incidents had declined by 54 per cent, murder by 35 per cent, car snatching by 46 per cent and motorcycle theft by 53 per cent.
In Lahore, murder cases decreased by 43 per cent, robberies by 32 per cent, car snatching by 43 per cent and motorcycle theft by 54 per cent.
The meeting also decided to link the operational control of Dolphin Police with the respective police stations to improve coordination and response. The chief minister set September 30 as the deadline for equipping Punjab Police personnel with body cameras.
She also approved the installation of GPS trackers and cameras in prisoners’ vans and ordered strict action to prevent incidents involving prisoners escaping from custody.
CM Maryam Nawaz said the protection of life and property of citizens was the government’s fundamental responsibility and directed the police to further strengthen measures for maintaining peace and security across the province.
