‘Secure Lahore’ to keep city safe in Ramazan

LAHORE:

A Secure Lahore campaign would be launched from first day of Ramazan to ensure law and order during the month, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir said on Sunday.

He was speaking at a meeting held at his office to review security arrangements for Ramazan.

CCPO Tahir said there would be special security arrangements during sehar, iftar and taraveeh hours.

He said he was opposed to setting up a lot of pickets because of the inconvenience they caused to the people. However, he said, pickets would be phased out gradually after there was an improvement in the law-and-order situation.

The CCPO said that a crackdown on kidnapping for ransom gangs in the last two months had proven very effective. As many as 22 suspects were arrested, he said. He said the hostages were successfully recovered in these cases. He said 500 motorcycles and cars were recovered and returned to their owners in the last two months.

CCPO Tahir said police were conducting search operations to track terrorism suspects with assistance of intelligence agencies. He said the four provincial police headquarters were working together in this regard.

He said negligence in performance of duties would no longer be tolerated. He said he would soon start monitoring the performance of the station house officers. Those found guilty of arresting innocent people or torturing suspects in custody would be suspended and the deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) concerned transferred, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2011.