Law enforcement: RPO to probe complaints against traffic police

IG Punjab says no headway so far on Shahbaz Taseer’s kidnapping, probe underway in Faisalabad Press Club firing.

FAISALABAD:

Inspector General of Punjab Police Haji Habibur Rehman on Sunday took notice of complaints against Traffic Police and directed the regional police officer to inquire the matter and report his findings to him without delay.

IGP Rehman said most of the people who approached him at an open court complained about corruption and inefficiency in traffic police.

He directed RPO Aftab Ahmed Cheema to take notice of the matter and submit an inquiry report to him.

The IGP was surprised to find out about a minimum of 10-violation-tickets-a-day rule followed by the traffic police.

He was told that there was no pressure on wardens to regulate the flow of traffic with such rules in place.

Meanwhile, IG Habibur Rehman said on Sunday that strict action would be taken against police officers failing to control crime rate in their areas.

Rehman said police needed to divert all efforts to check kidnappings-for-ransom and robberies. He said a strategy would be evolved to address the deteriorating law and order situation.

He said people’s confidence in Police Department was low and urged his force to improve its public image.

He vowed to reprimand and punish officials whose performance was not up to the mark or who were found guilty of corruption.

The IGP said all senior officials, including him, would be available at their offices between 10am and noon to hear public complaints. The station house officers (SHO) had been directed to hold office hours from 3pm to 5pm.

He said every police officials would be held accountable for his actions and law and order in his area.

Answering a question about firing at Faisalabad Press Club, the IGP said a three-member investigation panel under the supervision of Regional Police Officer  Aftab Ahmad Cheema was probing the matter. He said as soon as there was some headway in the investigation it would be shared with the media.

He promised an inquiry on merit, adding that the police officials who were present at the crime scene but did not take prompt action had been suspended from service.

IG Rehman said there had been no progress yet in the investigation of Shahbaz Taseer’s kidnapping.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2012.