‘Special court martial’ proposed for corrupt officers in Punjab Police

In a move aimed at rooting out corruption within Punjab Police, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Saturday decided to hold “special court martial” of corrupt police officials, Express News reported.

The plan was discussed during a special meeting in Murree presided over by CM Maryam. The law and order situation in the province was reviewed in detail during the meeting.

The inspector general of police (IGP) gave a detailed briefing on the overall law and order situation, said a handout. It was decided in principle to launch a special unit, besides conducting IT training of the staff to eliminate organised and cyber crimes in the province.

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Various proposals and recommendations were put forth to undertake concrete steps to safeguard life and property of people. Approval was also accorded to enforce a special audit system in order to ascertain corruption and unprofessional attitude in police.

The police officers and officials found involved in conniving with the corrupt mafias and criminals would undergo “special court martial”, the meeting decided. In case of asking for a bribe, a complaint could be registered via CM’s special dashboard.

A proposal to establish border security force to check smuggling was also reviewed in the meeting. It was decided in principle to set up a functional specialised police force to effectively counter every crime.

Approval was granted to vigorously carry out a campaign for complete eradication of narcotics. It was decided to make legislation for awarding the death penalty to those found involved in committing the molestation of women and children.

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The chief minister ordered to undertake strict measures to root out the culture of illegal weapons in Punjab and it was decided to make amendments to the relevant laws in this regard.

The chief minister also ordered to undertake additional measures for the permanent elimination of kite-flying and usage of metallic wire. She underscored, “Crime can be reduced by ensuring stern punishment to the culprits. It is a fundamental responsibility of the Punjab government to protect every citizen of Punjab,” she said. “We would provide the latest arms and ammunition, state-of-the-art equipment, night vision technology and drones.”

The CM ordered to launch an effective crackdown for the permanent eradication of terrorism, smuggling and criminal gangs. There is a dire need to streamline the prosecution and investigation system as well, she added.

Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Chief Secretary, Secretary Home, IG Police, Additional IGP, Commissioner, CCPO, RPO and other officers also attended the meeting.

With additional input from APP