CM rejects summary to change PSCA control

Authority strongly opposed move for its placement under home dept

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar rejected the summary to hand over the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) to the Home Department.

Former Additional Chief Secretary Interior Fazeel Asghar sent the summary to change the administrative control of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority and make it subordinate to the Home Department.

The PSCA administration strongly opposed the move. Its stance was that the authority was already performing its duties, legally, under the inspector general of police and the chief secretary, as per the Safe Cities Authority Act.

The authority sent a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and IG Punjab Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan took the same stance.

According to sources, the matter was discussed in a meeting of the Punjab cabinet last week when the majority of its members opposed the change of administrative control.

The chief minister said PSCA is the face of the Punjab police and helps control crime. “Therefore, it does not need to change its administrative control.” He said that the performance of PSCA officers was satisfactory and its scope would be spread across the province.

Experts added PSCA was an institute of the Punjab police and helps control crime as well as manage traffic. Also, some security experts say that the police have started a project of the PSCA under which reputed and honest police officers work to maintain the law and order situation. It is believed this is the project which brought international cricket back to the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2019.