Punjab government has given the powers to District Coordination Officers(DCOs) of District Magistrates under Punjab Maintenance of Public Order amended Ordinance 2008 to maintain the law and order situation, under which DCOs will be able to detain any person for three months in jails, while law enforcing agencies would also be able to investigate the detainee.
Talking to newsmen, Provincial Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan said that these powers would not be used against political rivals. Under Punjab Maintenance of Public Order amended Ordinance 2008, the powers of provincial government shifted to district level, which would be helped district administration for maintaining the law and order situation. According to new law, DCO is now in position to arrest or detain any person for three months, while restrict any person not left or enter into the district for maintaining the law and order.
Provincial Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah explained that under this law, a person cannot be detained more than three months and if required more detention, the approval of three members of Review Board will be essential, which will be established in each district very soon. He further said that if detention would be more than three months, provincial government will arrange to pay special allowance to the affected family of detainee.