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LAHORE, April 25: Law Minister Basharat Raja said on Tuesday the government was taking ‘major steps’ to improve the law and order in Lahore.
He was talking to reporters after Speaker Afzal Sahi took oath as the acting governor here at the Governor’s House.
The minister said police had been geared up to fight crime in the province and there was still room for improvement in Lahore.
Mr Raja said the four steps were being taken to improve the law and order in the city on the orders of the chief minister who had, during a meeting last week, expressed serious concern over increase in the number of robberies and thefts.
The steps included introduction of foot patrolling by police, increase in the strength of force, launch of a campaign against outlaws and ensuring the registration of cases.
“There could be many reasons for the increase in crime but the government is going after the outlaws,” he said.
He said the law and order monitoring cell had also been reactivated on the orders of the chief minister. It would hold weekly meetings to review law and order and to suggest improvements in it.
When asked about his opinion on the London meeting of Ms Benazir Bhutto and Mr Nawaz Sharif, he said the ‘unnatural alliance’ between the PPP and the PML-N would not make any difference for the PML. Muslim Leaguers of any group would never cast vote for the PPP.
Political dialogue between all political forces, including the PPP and the PML-N, should be held. But there would be no outcome of the London meeting, he said.
SAHI: The Punjab Assembly speaker would hold the office during the absence of Governor Khalid Maqbool who has proceeded on an eight-day visit of Turkey along with his wife. He is scheduled to return on May 3.
The oath was administered by Lahore High Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry.
The ceremony was attended, among others, by Deputy Speaker Shaukat Mazari, ministers Basharat Raja, Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Syed Akhtar Husain Rizvi and Dr Shafiqur Rehman, and senior government officials.
Mr Sahi later said the government was sincerely trying to improve law and order. Several steps had been taken to improve law and order which would soon give positive results.
He said the London meeting between Ms Benazir Bhutto and Mr Nawaz Sharif was not a surprising event. “Political meetings are held as a routine and the meeting between the two leaders is a delayed event,” he said.
Mr Sahi said he never knew that important personalities in Punjab were violating the ban on meals on marriages. He said he himself attended the marriage of the niece of a minister the other day and there was no violation of the law.
