LAHORE, Jan 26: Inspector General of Punjab Police (IG) Javed Iqbal showed on Thursday his displeasure at increasing crimes in Gujranwala region and the Lahore city district and frequent kidnap-for-ransom cases in border districts of south Punjab.

Sources privy to the conference told Dawn the IG while reviewing the crime statistics of Lahore and Gujranwala expressed his reservations over an alarming increase in robbery, robbery with murder and vehicle snatching and drop in arrests of criminals.

They said the IG also took notice of kidnap-for-ransom cases in border districts of south Punjab.

The IG told officers to monitor the movement of people on the 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act. The conference learnt that the police had neither got surety bonds from such people nor forced them to report to police stations once in a week.

Sources said the police chief stressed his officers not to tolerate 'political' interference in police matters.

Furthermore, a handout said the conference was held in order to bring down crime rate and maintain law and order in the province.

Lahore Capital City Police Officer Ahmad Raza Tahir, regional police officers (RPOs) Mubarrak Ali Athar (Multan), Ahmad Mubarrak Ahmad (Gujranwala), Aftab Ahmad Cheem (Faisalabad), Khaliq Dad Lak (Sahiwal), Dr Arif Mushtaq (Shiekhupura), Syed Mohammad Abid Qadri (Bahawalpure) and Punjab DIG Operations Sohail Ahmad Khan were present.

The CCPO and RPOs briefed the IG about the cases of kidnapping, robbery, dacoity-cum-murder, arrests of POs and pace of prosecution and convictions.

TRANSFER: The IG transferred and posted three senior police officers, according to a notification. Punjab Special Branch SSP Maqsoodul Hasan was transferred and posted assistant IG (training police headquarters of Punjab) vice SSP Riffat Mukhtar transferred and posted Punjab SSP (motor transport against an existing vacancy.

SSP Muhammad Wisal Fakhar Sultan, awaiting posting, was transferred and posted Sihala Police College deputy commandant against an existing vacancy.

CEREMONY: An investiture ceremony in honour of newly-promoted DIG Investigation Punjab Mirza Shakeel Ahmad was held at the Police Headquarters on Thursday.