LAHORE: The capital city police have submitted to the Punjab government a new administrative structure in the wake of an under-discussion proposal wherein Lahore is likely to be divided into four districts.

According to the recommendations shared in the cabinet committee meeting, the provincial capital city police proposed two deputy inspectors general (DIGs) and four senior superintendents of police (SSPs) to man the four proposed districts.

Held on Saturday, the meeting was chaired by Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) retired Capt Amin Wains and DIG Operations Dr Haider Ashraf attended the meeting from the police department besides Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal and the senior officers from law, revenue and other state departments. The proposed structure of the Lahore police was presented by the CCPO and the DIG.

The development has come at a time when the next general elections are approaching and extensive homework is required to materialise the scheme of dividing the second largest city of the country into four districts.

The official said according to the scheme, the police of four proposed districts would be headed by a senior police officer of the rank of additional inspector general (apparently called CCPO).

A DIG will head two districts and he will be assisted by two district SSPs (district SSP1 and district SSP2) who might be given the status of SSP Town or SSP East/West etc at a later stage. However, nothing is final yet in respect of their designation.

The official said the SSP1 would have two SPs (SP1 and SP2) under his command and each SP would manage four each circles. The SP1, working under district SSP1, would supervise four police circles, namely Naulakha, Lower Mall, Gowalmandi and Islampura. The SP1 would look after the affairs of the both wings (investigation and operations) whereas in the current system two SPs were separately heading the both wings of the Lahore police. Similarly, the SP2 would have four circles, namely Tibbi City, Badami Bagh, Rang Mahal and Misri Shah.

Under the new proposal, the Lahore police will have to establish new police lines and more high-profile slots, additional staff, transport besides other resources and finances, the source said. He added that besides police, the changes of similar nature in the other government departments and judiciary also came under discussion in the meeting.

The meeting was told that in the wake of the administrative changes in the Lahore police, the government required amendments to the Police Order, creation of slots of four sessions judges (one each for a proposed district) and modification in revenue and other departments.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2017