Border Military Police, Baloch Levies to be merged with Punjab Police

ISLAMABAD: It has been decided to merge the Border Military Police and Baloch Levies with the Punjab Police in the tri-border areas of Balochistan and Punjab.

Sources told ‘Jang’ that for capacity building and strengthening of Military Police and Baloch Levies, immediate recruitment was also decided. Sources said that Deputy Commissioners and Special Branch across Punjab have also been given the task of geo-mapping for the evacuation of Afghans as well as Tajiks living in the province. According to sources, CTD has completed the mapping of 220 Afghan students studying in different madrasas of Punjab who are studying in madrasas of Lahore, Rawalpindi, Chakwal and Khanewal.

Eight Afghans teaching in five madrasas in three cities of Punjab, Lahore, Gujarat and Rawalpindi, have also been identified. Sources said that no strict disciplinary action could be taken against 126 corrupt officers of Punjab Police, Customs, Border Military Police and Food Department of Punjab, who did not take action against smuggling and hoarders of Iranian oil and other commodities. Reports for action against these corrupt officers were sent by Corps Headquarters Lahore, Special Branch, Prime Minister’s Office and Intelligence Bureau. Sources said that out of 126 officers, 49 are from Punjab Police, 24 from Customs, 26 from Border Military Police (BMP), while others include 3 from Civil Defence, two from DC Office Mianwali, 21 from Food Department and one from Rangers.

Sources said that 15 reports were sent by the Corps Headquarters Lahore, 21 by the Federal Ministry of Interior, 59 by the Special Branch, 12 by the Prime Minister’s Office and 19 by the Intelligence Bureau for strict action against corrupt officers. Out of the list of 49 corrupt officers of Punjab Police sent by the top security and secret agencies, only seven of them were given a warning while 8 were transferred.

An inquiry is being conducted against 26 Border Military Police officials and they have been suspended. Of the 24 corrupt Customs officials, none was investigated, none was suspended and none was punished, only one official was transferred. Sources said that no action including an inquiry and suspension was taken against 21 officials of the Food Department and one official of the Rangers. Customs officials told “Jang” that reports had been received from the Prime Minister’s Office and sensitive institutions against 6 officials in Punjab. Four of them have been made OSDs and have been summoned to Custom House Lahore and a fact-finding inquiry has been initiated against them while two officers have been transferred to FBR pool. Since no evidence has been provided by the institutions to take action against the officers, the disciplinary action against them is being delayed.