Control crime or face action, Maryam warns police

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has warned the police to control crime and bring down the crime rate in the province or face action.

She passed these remarks while chairing a meeting to review the overall law and order situation across the province here on Saturday. The IGP gave a briefing on the law & order and police performance. Maryam said: “I am accountable to 13 crore people. The police should control crime, one cannot turn a blind eye to reality. I will not tolerate any no-go area anywhere in Punjab.”

She said the crime rate would have to be brought down across the province. If the crime rate is on the rise, people overlook reforms and development projects of the government. The police are making sacrifices but black sheep persist. “I side with the police and stand behind the force. I expressed solidarity with the police force by donning their uniform. We are providing complete resources to police so that their performance becomes better. We are introducing an analysis and inspection system to evaluate the police performance and elimination of corruption.”

“14 special check-posts are being established to stop inter-provincial smuggling. We are meeting every demand of the police force in the shape of vehicles, gadgets, ammunition and training. It is our foremost responsibility to ensure protection of every cop standing at a check-post,” she said and lauded the performance of IGP, Sargodha RPO and DPO for protecting and safely evacuating 10 persons from a mob.

“More than 50 per cent decrease in dacoity incidents in Lahore is welcoming. Labourers being looted after taking their salaries is not only sorrowful but also shameful. I have assigned a deadline to the RPO Sheikhupura to overcome dacoity incidents. Snatching and theft incidents of sacrificial animals should be eradicated. Crackdown should continue on a permanent basis for the elimination of drugs.”

The chief minister said the police should undertake effective measures to stop aerial firing incidents. “Political intervention in police affairs has been done away with, and the police should perform now. The DPOs should purge corrupt police personnel and criminal elements. An effective crackdown should be launched for the eradication of electricity theft on the DG Khan model. If electricity theft is eliminated, loadshedding will end.” A proposal to establish Beggar Barracks in jails was agreed in the meeting.

Meanwhile, Maryam Nawaz congratulated the newly-elected CPNE President Irshad Ahmed Arif, General Secretary Ijaz-ul-Haq, Senior Vice President Anwar Sajdi, Vice President Amir Mehmood and other office-bearers. She said: “The CPNE holds a pivotal role in the media industry and performed its journalistic responsibilities by always taking into account national interests. Newspapers are deemed authentic and reliable with regard to news even to date. It is earnestly hoped that the new CPNE office-bearers would play their vigorous role in the progress and promotion of the media industry.”