MULTAN, Oct 16: Overhauling of the police system is a big task to be carried out by the district governments to uproot the ‘thana culture’.

This was observed by Multan district Nazim Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi while addressing the first day session of the district council convened here on Tuesday. The session will continue for three consecutive days.

He claimed that police was being brought under the district governments on his suggestions. An ordinance in this regard was expected to be promulgated in a few days. The ordinance was being introduced after amending the earlier draft ordinance on police reforms, he added.

Mr Qureshi said in a meeting with the Punjab governor, the IGP, home secretary and a high official of the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) he convinced them that there was a vacuum in the authority of Nazim vis-a-vis rules of business and framing of laws at the local level. They agreed to his arguments that people’s problems could not be resolved in the presence of flaws pointed out by him, he added.

“Acquiring authority may not be a difficult task but its lawful exercises is definitely cumbersome,” Mr Qureshi maintained.

He announced that monitoring committees would be formed to take stock of the performance of various government departments.

He condemned American bombardment on civilian population in Afghanistan saying “we have religious and ideological ties with Afghan people.”

He said the government respected the right of people to express their feelings but the demonstrators should also behave in a decent way. He said the situation demanded to evolve such policies which should be in national interest. He forbade religious leaders to create such a situation which might endanger the life and property of the people.

Earlier, the house unanimously approved representation of its members on district government monitoring committee, code of conduct committee, justice committee, sports and culture committee, district accounts committee, agriculture produce committee and committee to decide representation in district public safety commission.

Most of the members rose to a point of order and criticized police and alleged that 80 per cent of the FIRs were registered against fake medico-legal certificates. They urged the government to display lists of police touts on the notice boards of every police station in order to discourage them.