Public order: Police busy executing staged encounters: Sarwar

Former governor says only PTI can depoliticise police.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) provincial organiser Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said on Tuesday that the law and order situation in the province had been deteriorating.

Sarwar made the remarks while issuing a “fact sheet” on the provincial government’s performance in this regard. He said over 38,000 killing, abduction and rape incidents had been reported in the year. The former governor said the Punjab had been transformed into a police state.

The former governor said police was being used to harass the government’s political rivals instead of securing the province. Sarwar said over 7,000 cars and motocycles had been snatched in the province. He said the Hussainwala child abuse scandal demonstrated the government’s failure to ensure the provision of justice. “The Punjab has become a safe haven for criminals,” he said.

Sarwar said at least 11 PTI workers had been killed in target shootings during by-elections and local government elections over the year. Citing police records, he said 38,251 cases were reported over the last nine months. Sarwar said police had only managed to crack a negligible percentage of these. He said 3,484 murder, 4,013 attempted murder, 10,226 kidnapping, 2,017 rape and 171 gang-rape cases had been reported to date. He said 13, 363 robbery cases were reported in the Punjab during 2015.

“The nation is still waiting to see whether criminals will ever be punished,” he said.  While the government had been waxing lyrical about transforming the thana culture, Sarwar said those seeking justice were being tortured at police stations. The former governor said police had been failing to crack actual criminal cases as the department had its hands full with orchestrating staged encounters.

He said transfers and postings in the department were being carried out on nepotism rather than merit. Sarwar said the PTI was the only party that could depoliticise the department just as it had done in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. He said the party would make the nation safe for its peoples.

PTI slams govt for inflation, new taxes

The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) staged a protest demonstration against inflation and rising taxes on Tuesday. Ejaz Chaudhry, the PTI chief’s political adviser, led the protest at Akbar Chowk. MPA Shunila Ruth was also present.

Chaudhry said that the government had failed to offer any financial relief to the public. “The party which campaigned on a manifesto of resolving people’s problems during the 2013 general elections has backed out of its promises,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2015.