LAHORE - Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khan Baig has ordered the police to step up clampdown on the elements involved in gas and electricity theft all over the province.
The provincial police chief issued these directions while addressing the second Regional Police Officers’ (RPOs’) Conference held at the Central Police Office (CPO) on Monday.
The IGP was informed that at least 553 cases of gas and electricity theft had been registered during the last six weeks in the province while challans in 259 cases were submitted to the courts and 280 cases are under investigations.
Out of total 905 accused persons involved in such cases, at least 382 had been arrested, officials said, adding, the national exchequer suffered a loss of Rs 4.54869 billion because of the gas and electricity theft.
Additional-IG Punjab Sarmad Saeed Khan, Additional-IG (Investigations) Muhammad Amlish, Additional-IG (CTD) Punjab Nasir Khan Durrani, Additional-IG Special Branch Punjab Ahmed Raza Tahir, DIG (Establishment) Amjad Javed Saleemi, RPO Sheikhupura Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh, RPO Gujranwala Saad Akhtar Bharwana, RPO Rawalpindi Bilal Siddique Kamyana, RPO Faisalabad Javaid Islam, RPO Sargodha Muhammad Tahir, RPO Multan Capt (retired) Muhammad Amin Wains, RPO Sahiwal Sahibzada Shahzad Sultan, RPO Bahawalpur Muhammad Ishaq Jehangir, and RPO DG Khan Akhtar Umar Hayat Laleka were also present on this occasion besides the District Police Officers (DPOs) from all over the province.
Khan Baig also urged the field police officers to expedite the fight against the menace of crimes, terrorism, and sectarianism on war-footing basis across the province.  For this purpose, he observed, the officers must move into the field not only to enhance the moral of the police force but also to ensure close liaison between the police and the public in order to improve the sense of security among the people.  The meeting reviewed in-detail the overall crimes and law and order situation of the Punjab province. It was decided in the conference that the clampdown on the elements involved in gas and electricity theft would be intensified and there would be zero-tolerance against this crime.