LAHORE, Aug 8: The provincial police chief, in his first-ever video conference on Thursday, addressed all nine regional police officers to review public safety and security arrangements across the province on the eve of Chand Raat and Eidul Fitr.

Speaking at the maiden conference held at the Central Police Office here, IGP Khan Baig said the purpose of the conference was to ensure the presence of field officers in their regions on the occasion of Eid festival and save unnecessary official expenditures.

Issues like security arrangements in shopping malls, markets, mosques, Eidgahs, seminaries, imambargahs, sensitive points and government buildings, security of jails and arrest of hardened criminals were included in the agenda.

All the RPOs briefed the IGP on security arrangements they had adopted for 15,549 mosques, 1,197 imambargahs and 1,325 public places where Eid prayers would be offered

The RPOs also briefed the IGP on security steps taken by them in all hotels, inns, guest houses and hostels of their regions.

Khan Baig directed the officers to secure sensitive jails in collaboration with the Elite Police Force, Rangers and jail authorities. He also advised that bullet proof jackets and sand bags must be provided to officials deputed at sensitive security points of jails. The IG also reviewed the response time in case of occurrence of any untoward incident.

He said basic responsibility of the police officers was to eliminate crime and those who failed in discharging their duties would face departmental action plus transfer.

The IG informed his subordinates that he had waived a complicated procedure of reward payment for officials who got injured during duty. The AIG Operations was given the task who immediately processed reward statement sent by any field officer and arranged money for the injured. He said that these officials would be provided free medical treatment by the department.

He also directed the officers that in case of any important activity or achievement they must keep media on board so that public could get awareness about their performance.

Baig also directed the field police officers to start a crackdown against hardened criminals in the province.

The conference was joined through video link by Faisalabad RPO Javaid Islam, Sargodha RPO Muhammad Tahir, Multan RPO Ali Amir Malik, Sahiwal RPO Muhammad Shehzad Sultan, Bahawalpur RPO Ahmed Ishaq Jehangir, D G Khan RPO Akhter Umer Hayat, Gujranwala RPO Raja Riffat Mukhtar and SSP Operations Rawalpindi Israr Ahmed Khan whereas Sheikhupura RPO Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh, Lahore CCPO Shafique Ahmed, Lahore DIG Operations Rai Muhammad Tahir, AIG Operations Waqas Nazir and PSO to IGP Muhammad Ali Naiko Kara personally attended the conference.