FAISALABAD, June 6: The government was taking practical steps on scientific lines for revamping the police system to make it more efficient and capable of safeguarding human rights.

This was stated by Federal Law Minister Dr Khalid Ranjha while inaugurating a two-day seminar on ‘Human rights and police’ here on Thursday.

The seminar was organized by the Punjab police in collaboration with the Federal Law Ministry which was sponsored by Norwegian and Swedish governments.

Dr Ranjha called upon the police officers to respond to the challenges of modern times and strive for changing the public perspective about the police.

Earlier, in his opening address Punjab IGP Malik Asif Hayat said the purpose of the seminar was to sensitize police officers about human rights.

Awareness about human rights, he said, would not only enable them to perform their duties more efficiently but this would also earn them more respect and honour from the public.

To organize the police force on scientific lines, the provision of forensic laboratories and finger print bureaus was under active consideration of the government, he said.

DIG Tariq Khosa read a paper about police reforms underlining the need for proper selection, improved training and provision of latest equipment and modern gadgetry for looking up police output.

He said under the new police law, a ‘Police Complaint Authority’ would be set up which would serve as an external accountability mechanism for the police and would also help safeguard human rights.

The PCA, he said, would take a strict action on complaints like custodial deaths, rapes, corruption and police high handedness. Under the new act, if a police officer entered a house without lawful authority, a case would be registered against him.

DIG Malik Iqbal read a paper about honour killings and shed light on social and sociological reasons behind such happenings.

The seminar’s concluding session would be held on Friday.

DIGs Tallat Mehmood, Azhar Hassan Nadeem, Aftab Sultan, Faisalabad SSP Tassaduq Hussain Chaudhry, journalist Shamsul Islam, human rights activists and social workers were also present on the occasion.