LAHORE, April 18: The investigation wing, bifurcated from watch and ward (operations) under Police Order 2002, has failed to deliver and now the old system of unity of command will be re-introduced after necessary amendments to the police order, says Punjab Inspector General Shaukat Javed.
“The police order is being practiced without the approval of parliament and also it needs certain amendments to remove its flaws,” Mr Javed told reporters at his maiden news conference on Friday.
He said the complainants suffered a lot due to structural flaws in the investigation wing and now the new setup would work under a station house officer.He said after the policy of the federal as well as Punjab governments, the VVIP culture would be eliminated and except a few personalities, all government officials, including those of police, would travel without traffic protocol.
Mr Javed said pro-active policing would be launched against criminals with zero tolerance, adding the Punjab police had prepared lists of target offenders and would launch a campaign to arrest them in a few days.
"People who have been challaned in violent crime against property will be traced and investigated and if they are already in jails, cases against them will be prepared with solid evidence so that they cannot get bail," he added.
He said his priority was to ensure the free and smooth registration of cases, adding that people would get respect and proper guidance at police stations.
“A strict action will be taken against the police officials for not registering cases and now he will not question them about rise in crime graph,” he said.
The IG said that the Shops Establishment Act, which was introduced in the tenure of Shahbaz Sharif as Punjab chief minister, would be re-implemented.
Under the act, owners of shops, enterprises and petrol pumps would themselves arrange security of their setups and the policemen deployed in and around the financial institutions would be removed for their original duty.
He said hooters, which were used by the pilot of important personalities on roads, would be banned because their anti-environmental effects.
He said the previous government had taken various measures to form new police forces without the approval of National Police Management Board (NPMB).
"The Traffic Wardens System and Punjab Highway Patrolling Posts have also been formed without approval of the board and their future will be decided after evaluating the training standards and current working conditions,” he added.
He said that in future wardens and other police officials would be recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission and any new police force will be constituted after the approval of the NPMB.He said police would ensure better coordination with the media, hoping it would play positive role through constructive criticism on police and pointing out its lapses.
About a spate of suicide bombings in the province, the IG said police, law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies were ready to curb the menace with effective coordination. He said he was against bogus encounters as these were not counter-productive.a