LAHORE: Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz has directed crackdown on corruption, an anti-corruption drive against corrupt policemen in Punjab. At a special law and order meeting held on Tuesday, the CM instructed Inspector General to eliminate any corrupt policeman identified by them within a week. Maryam Nawaz’s decision follows the latest wave of protests against police brutality in Lahore where protesters burnt a police vehicle.
Crackdown on Corruption: A Firm Deadline for Body Cameras
Punjab CM set September 30 as the deadline for issuing body cameras to Punjab Police officials in order to enhance security in Punjab province. Addressing the meeting, the Punjab Chief Minister emphasized her concern for maintaining peace and ensuring the safety of lives and property of citizens, declaring that this was one of the primary goals of the government.
A decision was made to place Dolphin Police’s operation under the command structure of individual police stations, a move designed to improve coordination and accountability between specialized police units and ordinary local stations’ operations.
It will mean that Dolphin Police’s operation will now come directly under the control of individual police stations. This decision follows an earlier attempt to restructure the organizational framework of Karachi’s police
A call for an all-encompassing strategy aimed at controlling crime against women and children was made by the Chief Minister, who instructed strict action against any individual associated with committing such acts. The decision implies a zero-tolerance stance towards perpetrators of these offenses. In particular, this mandate highlights a focused effort toward safeguarding some of the most vulnerable sections of society.
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The Punjab government has also sanctioned GPS trackers along with CCTV cameras inside prisoner vans after she issued directives against any future occurrence of escaped convicts from those vans. This step comes amid her recent orders cracking down on corruption in the province’s police force. It is worth noting that several loopholes within the prisoner transfer process have been observed in recent months.
She said the police officers engaged in corruption would not be appointed to the position of Station House Officer (SHO). She said strict measures must be taken against corrupt officers. Moreover, she asked police to launch crackdowns on burglary offenders. Furthermore, she called for initiating a cleaning campaign against criminal activities in Sheikhupura town.
The IG Police provided an overview to all attendees regarding improvements made in overall criminal activity in Punjab Province. The rate of robbery cases dropped by 54%, homicides decreased by 35%, auto-snatching decreased by 46%, and two-wheel theft incidents were reduced by 53% in Punjab. Homicides in Lahore decreased by 43%, robbery cases decreased by 32%, auto-snatching cases decreased by 43%, and two-wheel theft cases decreased by 54%.
The chief minister made it clear that district police would be held responsible for areas that continue to witness high levels of criminal activity. In essence, this means that not only is there an order to combat corruption in police departments, but that there is also performance accountability expected of district police commanders according to crime statistics.