LAHORE, Dec 10: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool has said that the society needs to be purged of crime for progress.

He was speaking about the role intellectuals could play in controlling crime, at a seminar in Alhamra on Tuesday.

The governor said that it was easy to blame police for every criminal act and evade one’s duty. Punishment alone could not reduce the crime rate, responsibility for which also rested with the individual who should work for developing love and patience in the society.

The governor said the Police Ordinance 2001 would make justice easily accessible to common man. He also criticized the role of movies in promoting violence in society. The governor urged writers and intellectuals to disseminate awareness regarding crime and its control.

Punjab IG Asif Hayat said crime was being reported in a sensational way that had a negative impact on the society. He said only a writer could convince the reader about the dire consequences of a criminal act.

Hanif Ramey said the crime rate was on the rise because we had lost the element of love. He emphasized the need for eliminating psychological, social, economic and religious crimes and inculcating love in the society.

Fakhar Zaman said a good writer always wrote truth. An intellectual never collaborates with a dictator and keeps on exposing government’s wrongdoings. He said a writer was supposed to identify problems and suggest their solution.

Ashfaq Ahmed said the character-building of an individual was necessary to help control crime in the society. — Reporter