What most people don’t know is that the IG Punjab had informed the Federal Secretary of Communication about the rise in crime incidences on the Lahore-Sialkot Motorway, M11, in July. According to media reports, the RPO Gujranwala had expressed similar apprehensions. Here, the question arises as to why the communications ministry remained hesitant and delayed action even after the Punjab Police’s warning. As if all this was not enough, the government chose to replace the IG Punjab and appoint a CCPO, who was reportedly found unsuitable for promotion by the Central Selection Board. The report by IB contains serious accusations about the CCPO’s personal character which should be enough to initiate stern administrative disciplinary action against him, instead of posting him as CCPO Lahore.
What is more egregious is the fact that the victim of this gang rape informed the police about her location much before the crime took place, but time was wasted on technicalities of jurisdiction, instead of helping the lady in distress. The police who came after the crime should have immediately combed the area and deployed sniffer dogs, but nothing of the sort had been done, and criminals fled. Public confidence stands shattered.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, September 17th, 2020.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
