Rehman said that under his leadership, the Punjab Police had adopted a policy of “aggressive policing” that had yielded positive results. PHOTO: punjabpolice.gov.pk/
Allowing the Police Department to correspond directly with the chief minister’s office would bring about a “revolutionary change” in policing, said Inspector General Haji Habibur Rehman on Thursday.
The Police Department is an attached department of the Home Department and according to Rule 47(III) of the Rules of Business 2011, all correspondence between the federal government or provincial governments and the heads of attached departments must be conducted through the secretary of the department concerned.
The IG, answering a question at a Meet the Press programme at the Lahore Press Club, said that changing the rules in this regard would improve the working of the Police Department and save time.
Earlier this year, the Home Department wrote to the chief minister complaining that the IG had overstepped his authority and corresponded directly with the Cabinet Division to nominate himself and five other officers for state honours. It said that the Police Order 2002 had given the IG greater administrative and financial powers, but the department remained subordinate to the Home Department and could not correspond directly with the provincial or federal governments.
‘Self-accountability’
Speaking at the Press Club, the IG said that self-accountability was the key to ensuring justice and law and order in Pakistan. If police officers held themselves accountable, they would become better officers.
The IG said that he conducted a self-accountability exercise every day and took remedial measures, if needed, the next day.
Rehman said that under his leadership, the Punjab Police had adopted a policy of “aggressive policing” that had yielded positive results. Many gangs involved in bank robberies, jewellery store robberies, kidnappings and murders had been eliminated, he said.
Responding to questions, the IG said that the Security Division had been separated from the operational police and assigned the task of providing security to VIPs. The government has released Rs100 million for the establishment of a Security Division office at Bedian Road, he added.
He said that former Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority chairman Tauqir Sadiq was not in Pakistan, but the police were corresponding with authorities abroad to ensure his arrest and production before the Supreme Court in December 31.
Lahore Press Club President Arshad Ansari praised the IG’s policies.
Capital City Police Officer Aslam Tareen, DIG (Operations) Muhammad Rai Tahir, SSP (Operations) Sohail Akhtar Sukhera, SSP (Investigations) Babar Bakhat Qureshi, SSP (Administration) Tariq Abbas Qureshi, SSP (Discipline and Inspection) Shariq Kamal, Crimes Investigation Agency SP Omar Virk and Muhammad Ali Nekokar, the personal staff officer to the IG, were also present on the occasion.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 28th, 2012.
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