Cabinet flays attacks on security forces

LAHORE:

The Punjab cabinet has condemned violence and attacks on police and Rangers during PTI's protest on November 24 and offered Fateha for the personnel martyred.

In a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the cabinet approved special packages for those martyred and injured during the protest.

The packages include Rs29 million for a martyred constable of Punjab Police and Rs1 million each for the police and Rangers personnel injured in the violence.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said "172 police personnel were injured during the brutal protest of PTI workers, most of them are in critical condition."

She said, "It is shameful to see the condition of the injured personnel undergoing treatment at CMH Rawalpindi and to note that their killers are our people. Seeing the violence, the brutality of PTI workers is evident."

The chief minister said the personnel had been beaten up separately by groups with nailed sticks and rifle butts. "The skulls, legs and arms of the personnel undergoing treatment at CMH Rawalpindi were fractured due to the merciless violence of PTI workers' mob," she added.

She said an SP had been beaten so mercilessly with nailed sticks that his skull and brain had bene damaged and his eye was swollen.

Chief Minister Nawaz said, "I have never seen such a display of brutality, cruelty and violence in my life. A policeman was shot at close range, which went through his body." She said the constable martyred by the violence of PTI workers had young children.

The chief minister said, "A special force of 10,000 trained security personnel will be established in Punjab to combat riots."

Noting that attacks on check posts in Dera Ghazi Khan and Mianwali had increased, she issued directives to improve the security arrangements.

The provincial cabinet also approved amendments to laws to declare kite flying a non-bailable offence, besides the approval of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority Rules 2024. It gave approval of the establishment of the authority, besides granting powers of hearing officers to assistant commissioners under it.

The CM said Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and her team had worked on war footing to deal with smog.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also noted that for the first time, there was neither a shortage of fertiliser nor increase in its prices in Punjab, while 87 per cent of the whet sowing target had bene achieved so far.

Minorities Affairs Minister Ramesh Singh Arora thanked the chief minister for arrangements made for Sikh pilgrims and she directed the authorities concerned to take steps to establish three motels in Nankana Sahib.

The cabinet approved an interest-free loan project for establishing a Vehicle Inspection and Certification Station. It decided to resume the Horse and Cattle Show in Punjab and approved the allocation of Rs1.5 billion for the purpose.

It also allowed Punjab Police to train 210 Iraqi police officials.

The cabinet approved the construction of three-storey buildings for government employees in Chaubarji Garden.

The chief minister sought a loan plan for allocating plots and houses to government employees, besides approving the Foundational Learning Policy of Punjab 2024 for spoken English and reading hours in government schools.

The Punjab cabinet has approved a Rs3.44 billion budget for constructing model bazaars in 13 districts to provide citizens the essential commodities at discounted rates.

The chief minister highlighted that small business owners would benefit from affordable monthly rents starting at Rs10,000, allowing them to thrive in a structured and cost-effective environment.