Punjab Environment Protection Minister and Police Reforms Committee Chairman Col (r) Shuja Khanzada said that political interference in the recruitment, posting and transfer of police department officials would not be tolerated and that everything would be on merit. He stated this during a meeting with the under-training Punjab ASPs 40th STP in the city.
Punjab Inspector General Khan Baig was also present at the occasion. Khanzada said that to improve local policing and to control street crimes, experts would be called from Britain and Turkey. He revealed that the Punjab government had accorded the project’s approval. In the first phase, a command and control room would be established to monitor the city streets. Khanzada added that this modern technology would not only improve the city’s law and order situation, but would also help raise the performance of police personnel.
Furthermore, Khanzada said that police training institutes would be established at the divisional level and that the duration of the police training would be increased to about two years. He said that changing the Thana culture was one of the top priorities of the government.
He revealed that trained SHOs would be appointed at police stations and that an amendment in the 2002 Police Act had been made to improve the investigation process.
While talking about the performance of police officials, he said that this was the age of the media and that nothing could be hidden from the masses. He also appreciated the role of the Punjab Public Relations Directorate General (DGPR) saying that the DGPR’s team was working hard and devotedly performing its duties.
