LAHORE: Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has accorded approval to changing the provincial police’s uniform and for this purpose a new contract will be signed during the current fiscal year.

This is for the second time that the Punjab police authorities have decided to replace the uniforms of the over 200,000-strong force of the largest province.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Saleemi confirmed the development, saying that the current olive green police uniform is most likely to be replaced with the one being used by Islamabad police.

Five designs of the uniform had been considered and deliberated at length in several high-level meetings, including regional police officers conferences. The patterns included the old khakhi and black, the blue used by Islamabad police, grey, navy blue and light mustard and retaining the existing olive green one, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

The official said the Central Police Office had been receiving complaints by an overwhelming number of policemen against the olive green uniform and its fabric that was introduced in 2017 after an amendment to the Punjab Police Dress Regulations 2017.

Taking into account the various views in different ranks of the department, IGP Saleemi briefed the chief minister about the expected change in uniform of the police force. The CM was told that according to the global standards, blue was the most acceptable and attractive colour among police force of several countries. The Islamabad police introduced the colour for the first time, which was overwhelmingly welcomed by all quarters, he further told the CM.

The official said that after receiving a green signal from the CM, the IGP has directed the officers concerned to initiate the process to change the uniform from olive green to blue.

To a question, he said the existing design of the uniform was being used by all the police regions of Punjab except Punjab Constabulary (PC) and training institutions of the department where the old black and khaki uniform was still in use.

The new uniform and design would be introduced for all the units of Punjab police, including training institutions and PC, the official added.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2019