LAHORE, April 22: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has directed the IGP to launch an operation against cattle lifters especially in eight districts of the province.

He also asked the law secretary to prepare amendments to the relevant law for enhancing imprisonment on cattle lifting from the existing three years to seven years. He said the law should be presented in the next assembly session for adoption.

The chief minister gave the direction during a meeting with MNAs belonging to Gujranwala, Sialkot, Hafizabad, Gujrat, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Jhang and Mandi Bahauddin here on Thursday. He also directed DPOs of all districts to arrange a meeting so as to get immediate results of the operation against cattle lifting. He asked the IGP to adopt the latest investigation techniques so as to check cattle lifting, and take stern action against those involved in the crime.

He said the government had already started implementing different projects aimed at improving the economic condition of small farmers. It was also granting them soft loans. The chief minister said steps were being taken for reorganization of the ruling PML, and it was being organized at the ward, union, tehsil and district levels.

The MNAs who attended the meeting include Chaudhry Wajahat Husain, Chaudhry Mehdi Hasan Bhatti, Chaudhry Liaquat Abbas Bhatti, Chaudhry Bilal Ejaz, Chaudhry Rehman Naseer, Ali Asjad Malhi, Umer Ahmad Ghumman and Zahid Hamid.

Chief Secretary Kamran Rasool, BoR senior member Safdar Javed Syed and secretaries of the home, local government and planning and development board were also present. Meanwhile, PML leader Hamid Nasir Chattha also called on the chief minister and discussed with him matters pertaining to reorganization of the party.