October 17, 2006	Tuesday	Ramazan 23, 1427

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LAHORE, Oct 16: Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja told the Punjab Assembly on Monday that crime rate had declined considerably in the province due to the policies of the present government.

Opening a general house discussion on the law and order, the minister said that the “increase in crime was much less than the demographic growth rate in the province because the present government has re-organised and facilitated the police department in improving its performance.

The department is now doing well at criminals’ detection and investigation level, besides well maintaining the law and order throughout the province.” Basharat said the government was also focusing on improving prosecution of cases and an `Independent Services Prosecution’ would soon be launched which would improve the conviction rate.

“Now DPO and SP (Investigation) will present monthly reports to their high-ups about the progress on under-process cases, and they will be responsible for increase in such cases or delay in submission of challans to courts,” he maintained.

He told the house that profiles of hardened criminals were also being maintained at police stations to restrict them from any other criminal activity. Hundreds of cases of abduction for ransom were registered in the province and police worked out all the cases, besides tracing out the accused and submission of challans in the courts, he said and added that it was a good omen that presently there were only nine such cases under process in the province.

Giving a comparison of various cases during the first eight months of current and last years, he said that 39,000 proclaimed offenders were arrested this year against 27,783 last year, 29,784 court absconders against 20,894, 2,222 criminal gangs against 1,054, and 46,562 cases of illegal weapons registered against 32,000 cases during the corresponding period last year.

“A trend of pro-acting policing is being introduced to make the police officers more responsible and devoted to their profession. Under the pre-emptive policing, 448 Muhafiz Squads have been constituted in Lahore, 50 in Gujranwala, 100 each in Rawalpindi and Multan, 240 in Faisalabad, and 913 in other districts. These initiatives have reduced the street and other crime rates.”

Raja said police officers having good repute and best performance were being deployed as SHOs at police stations, and shift system was being introduced so that complainants could lodge their FIRs round the clock. About the weapons presence in the society, he said the government would take steps to control small weapons, including mausers, from the society to control street crime.

He said lacunas in police investigation process under the police order 2002 would be removed for which the chief minister had already formed a committee to finalize recommendations within three months.

He said that the opposition parties had raised demands for economic justice time and again and ignored the fact that their leaders sitting outside the country were responsible for disparities.

Earlier, opposition leader Qasim Zia and other members from both sides of the house, including Farzana Raja, Uzma Zahid Bukhari, Arshad Baggu, Waris Kallu, Rana Aftab, Malik Ahmed Khan, Zahida Sarfraz, Raja Shafqat Abbasi, Tahira Munir and Sheikh Ijaz — took part in the debate.

They highlighted various aspects of law and order situation and suggested ways and means to improve it.

KITE FLYING: Speaking on an adjournment motion moved by opposition benches, Raja said that a total of 2,394 cases had so far been registered against people involved in manufacturing, sale and flying of kites.

He said that 2,721 accused had also been arrested in the anti-kite flying campaigns.

Punjab police, according to him, had also confiscated 58,284 kites, 47,000 Chemical-coated string spindles (Charkhis) and other related material, besides securing surety bonds from 350 manufacturers of kites and other accessories.

The minister further said that government was also taking effective measures to control decanting of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) in the province. Already, he said, nearly 260 cases had been filed against in the practice during the first eight months of the current year. He was speaking on an adjournment motion by Sheikh Ejaz.

Annual reports of year 2005 of the two organizations — the Punjab Public Service Commission, and the Office of provincial ombudsman— were also presented in the house.—APP

Prorogued

The Punjab Assembly’s 26th session was prorogued on Monday. Rae Ejaz who was in chair red out the prorogation order after the completion of business of the day. Important legislation was carried out during the session which started on Sept 28.—APP