LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday initiated a comprehensive crackdown on corruption within the Punjab police, mandating the inspector general to identify and eliminate corrupt officials within a week. She emphasized that maintaining peace and safeguarding citizens’ lives and property remains the government’s foremost priority.

According to Chief Minister of Punjab, during a special meeting on law and order, several measures were decided upon to enhance the effectiveness of the police force. Operational control of the Dolphin Police will now fall under the jurisdiction of respective police stations. Additionally, the chief minister set a deadline of September 30 for equipping Punjab Police personnel with body cameras to ensure transparency.

The meeting also addressed crimes against women and children, with the chief minister demanding a comprehensive plan and a zero-tolerance policy against offenders. She approved the installation of GPS devices and cameras in prisoner vans and ordered strict measures against incidents of prisoner escapes.

To further tackle corruption, CM Punjab ordered that police officers with reputations for corruption should not be appointed as station house officers (SHOs) and called for intensified efforts to curb burglaries, specifically targeting a clean-up operation in Sheikhupura.

The inspector general briefed the meeting on the province’s improved crime statistics, with significant declines in robberies, murders, car snatching, and motorcycle theft. In Lahore alone, murders fell by 43%, and other crimes showed similar reductions.

The chief minister underscored the accountability of district police officers in areas with persistently high crime rates, reiterating that no leniency would be shown towards crimes against women and children.