Maryam Nawaz orders crackdown on corrupt police officers

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced decisive measures against corruption and ordered authorities not to appoint police officers

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced decisive measures against corruption and ordered authorities not to appoint police officers with a reputation for corruption as station house officers (SHOs).

She also directed the Punjab police to take strict action against officers found involved in corrupt practices.

The directives were issued during a high-level meeting on law and order chaired by the chief minister. The Punjab inspector general briefed the meeting on the overall crime situation across the province.

According to the briefing, several major crimes have recorded a significant decline. Robbery cases fell by 54%, murder cases by 35%, car robbery by 46% and motorcycle theft by 53%.

The situation in Lahore also showed improvement. Murder cases declined by 43%, robbery by 32%, car robbery by 43% and motorcycle theft by 54%, according to the briefing.

Maryam Nawaz gave the Punjab IG a one-week deadline to identify and remove corrupt elements from the police department.

She also ordered a zero-tolerance policy against crimes targeting women and children. The chief minister directed authorities to prepare a comprehensive plan to bring crime under control.

“Children and women are my red line,” Maryam said, adding that no one involved in crimes against them would be spared.

The meeting also approved several measures to strengthen policing and improve accountability. It was decided that the operational control of Dolphin Police would be linked with the relevant police stations.

The Punjab Police was also given a deadline of September 30 to equip personnel with body cameras. The measure is aimed at improving transparency and monitoring police operations.

The meeting further approved the installation of GPS tracking systems and cameras in prisoner vans. The chief minister ordered strict action following incidents involving the escape of prisoners.

Maryam also directed police to take stronger measures to reduce burglary cases. She ordered a special cleanup operation in Sheikhupura to eliminate criminal activity in the district.

The chief minister warned that district police officers would be held accountable in areas where crime rates remain high.

She said maintaining law and order was the government’s top priority and stressed that the authorities must fulfil their responsibility to protect the lives and property of citizens.