MIANWALI: [fbvideo link="https://www.facebook.com/etribune/videos/1420330261482149/"][/fbvideo]
Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that existing thana-kutcheri and patwari system has inflicted serious damages to the country and time is now right to replace it with a better one.
“We need to uproot this 30-year-old thana (police station) culture,” he said while addressing a ceremony held to inaugurate a ‘model police station’ in Minawali on Saturday.
In the past, he said, politicians used to appoint police officers of their own choice for personal and political gains, and that is why people started losing trust in the law enforcers.
"They [politicians] would control thana-kutchery system in the past to harass and intimidate their opponents," he said.
“I was well aware of this issue when I became a lawmaker for the first time, but couldn’t do anything to address it as I had no power to do so,” he said. “However, when we first formed government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, we changed thana culture and purified police of political influence,” he added.
He said department of police will have to restore its credibility in the public eye.
The prime minister said that police should provide sense of protection to the public, adding that police officers are public servants and they should facilitate complainants in the best possible manner at police stations.
Setting up model police stations, he said, is important for public welfare and reflects the PTI government’s desire to improve the current state of affairs.
Imran Khan said modern service delivery at the model police stations will set up an example for all other police stations in the province to emulate.
He said he wants to see Punjab Police develop on the pattern of K-P Police, which he added has won the confidence of people through its performance.
Under the initiative, 29 model police stations have been set up throughout Punjab, where CCTV cameras are also installed to monitor the performance of police.
A helpline 8787 has also been established for registering complaints. A Superintendent of Police (SP) also is deputed to deal with complaints in every district.
Earlier, on arrival at the model police station, a smartly turned out contingent of Punjab Police presented the prime minister guard of honour. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also accompanied the prime minister.
(With input from Radio Pakistan)
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