LAHORE, March 5: The Punjab government on Wednesday decided to increase the punishment for purchasing stolen property from three to seven years of imprisonment so as to counter the rising incidence of robbery.

It allowed the Punjab IGP to spend one billion rupees on recruiting 3,000 policemen during the current financial year, constructing 15 new police stations and purchasing vehicles and motorcycles for the Lahore police.

These decisions were made at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and also attended by Chief Secretary Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa, the home secretary, the IGP and the Lahore DPO.

Official sources said the chief minister directed that those found guilty of purchasing stolen property must not be dealt with leniently, as they encouraged robbers.

The meeting emphasized the need for keeping an eye on those purchasing stolen jewellery, vehicles and motorcycles, which would also help trace out robbers.

The chief minister ordered that those purchasing stolen property must be dealt with an iron hand come what may when he was informed that a former IGP had decided not to go after them around four years ago for fear that traders would go on a strike in reaction.

Sources said the IGP had asked for permission to recruit over 10,000 policemen (ASIs and constables), but the chief minister allowed recruitment of only 3,000 during the current financial year when the IGP admitted that only around 2,500 newcomers could be trained at a time. The remaining would be recruited during the next two years.

The IGP would start recruiting policemen “purely on merit” within the next 10 days, they said.

They said the chief minister allowed construction of 15 new police stations and purchase of more pick-ups, cars, motorcycles, mobile canteens and buses for Lahore police when the IGP emphasized the need for adequately equipping the city police to combat crime. The IGP demanded that police should be equipped on the pattern of Karachi police.

According to an official handout, the chief minister expressed his annoyance over the failure of the police high-ups to inspect police stations of the province. He directed that regular inspections of police stations be revived and their record maintained.

He directed the IGP to form a special cell comprising more efficient police officials to eradicate heinous crime like kidnapping-for-ransom and car theft.

The chief minister emphasized the need for maintaining a close liaison between the watch-and-ward and investigation wings of police and ordered repair of all police stations of Lahore within three years.

Earlier, Lahore DPO Khawaja Khalid Farooq informed the meeting about the working of Lahore police and the overall crime situation, and proposed steps to combat crime.

He said crime scene investigation laboratories were being set up. Under this plan, different investigative instruments would be installed in vehicles to expedite detection of criminals through fingerprints.

The chief minister asked for a separate briefing on the need for purchasing such instruments.

He approved establishment of Police Lines adjacent to the proposed Baab-i-Pakistan in Walton.