- PM calls Punjab Police a well-behaved, efficient force; wants friendly police stations for complainants
Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said it was his government’s target and priority to provide an effective, efficient and public-friendly police force equipped with modern technology to face today’s challenges.
Addressing a ceremony here in connection with digitisation of police stations, he said reforms were the key to better functioning of institutions and departments, which if left unattended, would erode with the passage of time. He said several interruptions were made in the institutions and certain people had tried to impose their whims but failed.
He said that the institutions should evolve and those people should get elected who preferred collective welfare over individual leanings. He said that his government had inherited a broken road network, crippling load-shedding durations, besides institutions suffering from malice of inefficiency. He said that through proper attention, institutions should be modernised and made to function in a better manner.
Punjab Governor Muhammad Rafique Rajwana and Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera and parliamentarians, police officials and families of martyred police personnel were present on the occasion.
Appreciating the digitisation initiative of the Punjab government, Prime Minister Nawaz observed that modern technology had done wonders and like developed nations all the stakeholders in the country should strive to achieve the set targets. He noted that the front desks of all police stations would be linked with the centralised system for better functioning and proper monitoring.
He said that there was still room for improvement in certain matters, including complainants. He said that the provision of justice to every citizen was his government’s top priority which could be streamlined with improvement in the criminal justice system including filing of the First Investigation Report (FIR) and investigation process.
The prime minister said that commendable strides had been made by the Punjab Police as it now stood distant from its past functioning as a well-behaved and efficient force. He observed that there was a negative impression about environment in police stations, which should be made conducive and friendly for visitors and complainants.
The registration of an FIR was the vital step in the criminal system and the situation should be made different by the high-ups concerned through a changed outlook and behaviour of the police personnel, deputed to deal with complainants, he added. Citing the functioning of the Motorway Police, he said that such improvements were difficult but not impossible.
The prime minister stressed upon training of the police force to improve their skills in the investigation process and opined that young and well-educated lot should be inducted through service commission. He said that other provinces should emulate the improvements made by the Punjab Police as it was his government’s mission to develop all the federating units equally. He credited the Punjab chief minister, IGP Sukhera and other officials for the implementation of the digitisation programme.
He also felicitated Najm Sethi for successful holding of the Pakistan Super League final in Lahore. He lauded the performance of the army, paramilitary forces, agencies, police force and administration for making the mega sports event a success despite adversaries. In a veiled reference to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, the prime minister said that all nation was on one side, whereas few elements were opposing the event.
He also paid tribute to the sacrifices of the police personnel. They sacrificed their lives to protect and save the future of the nation and get the country rid of the cancer of terrorism, he said, adding that the nation would always remember their benefactors. He said that the nation was indebted to them and it was due to their sacrifices that today bazaars, restaurants and parks were bustling with activities.
The prime minister advised the chief minister and the lawmakers to keep themselves updated about the issues of the families of the martyred police personnel. Earlier, the prime minister was presented a guard of honour upon his arrival at the IGP office. He inaugurated the computerisation of the police stations. He also visited the monitoring room and complaint cell where he was briefed about the digitisation system.
Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif highlighted the steps taken by the government for the capacity building of the police force and introduction of the latest technology. He said that the people raising the slogan of the ‘Pakistan First’ had caused huge damage to the country and its resources. Without taking name of the PTI chief, he expressed his astonishment over the former’s opposition to the PSL event, which, he said, was due to his sheer jealousy.
