Keeping in view the growing traffic problems in the city, the Punjab police have decided in principle to remove all check posts across the province except inter-provincial and inter-district check posts to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
"Instead of monitoring through police barriers and check posts, the monitoring should be ensured through CCTV cameras and field patrolling and the police officials should take part in operational activities instead of standing at the police check posts/barriers," ordered Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz Khan while presiding over a video-link conference at the central police office (CPO) here on Tuesday.
The IG declared that in case of any misbehave at inter-provincial and inter-district check posts, the relevant DSP will be held directly responsible and a strict action will be taken against the responsible ones. He said that citizen can lodge a complaint on IGP Complaint Centre by simply sending a text message to 8787 regarding the presence of the check post/barrier anywhere in Punjab. Since the crime rate is increasing in the city, the senior police officers should form special teams to hunt down criminals involved in the dacoity, murder abduction and other crimes, he directed.
"On Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (A.S), a four-tier security would be provided to the mourners and processions. Snipers would be deputed at the rooftops of the buildings falling on the routes of processions and no one should be allowed to enter the gatherings without proper checking through metal detectors, walkthrough gates and physical frisking," added the IG.
During the conference, all the regional police officers (RPOs) briefed the IG about the crime situation and the performance of police teams in their respective regions. On this, the IG said that geo-fencing and forensic science must also be utilized in cases of violence and rape against children and women.
About the security for the upcoming 'Urs' of Hazrat Usman Ali Hajveri (R.A), the IG directed to take on board the shrine management before finalizing the security plan and all available resources should be utilised for the purpose.
Prominent among the participants of the meeting were AIG R&D Zafar Iqbal, AIG Establishment Ahmad Latif, AIG Operations Inam Ghani, AIG D&I Azhar Hameed Khokhar, AIG PHP Manzoor Sarwar Chaudhry, AIG Welfare and Finance Rao Sardar, AIG CTD Muhammad Tahir Rai and AIG Special Branch Zaeem Iqbal Sheikh.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019