LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that government is attaching top priority to the maintenance of law and order and protection of life and property of citizens and competent, hardworking and honest police officers have been posted in the field for eradication of crime, reformation of Thana culture and redressal of grievances of the common man. He observed this while presiding over a high level meeting held to review law and order situation at Chief Minister's Secretariat, here on Tuesday. Provincial Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah Khan, Member National Assembly Rana Tanveer Hussain and Mian Javed Latif, Member Provincial Assembly Khawaja Imran Nazir, Special Assistant Pervez Rashid, Advisor to Chief Minister Jehanzeb Burki, Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, IG Police, Addl IG Special Branch and CID, Capital City Police Officer Lahore, Regional Police Officer Sheikhupura, Divisional Police Officer Sheikhupura and SSP Operations Lahore were present. The chief minister said that effective measures are being taken for the improvement of law and order in the province and the efforts of government are yielding positive results, however, police should further improve its system of crime detection and take timely action against criminal elements. He expressed his grief over the loss of precious human lives in a dacoity in Sheikhupura and directed that a comprehensive strategy should be adopted to prevent such incidents besides patrolling system should be further improved so that prompt action could be taken against the elements involved in heinous crimes. He said that government has evolved a system under which security vehicles of banks and other such companies would be used for the transfer of cash exceeding Rs 1 million and police would also be informed for providing security cover. He said that close circuit cameras would be installed in all banks, money changers, jewelry shops and other important trade centers. He asked why this policy was not adopted during trading of gold worth Rs 10 million and more in Sheikhupura. He said that Sheikhupura police should have coordinated with the jewelers and made security arrangements. He directed that the policy should be adopted in letter and spirit in future. He also took notice of non-installation of close circuit cameras at a bank which was robbed in Mianwali and warned that such negligence would not be tolerated in future. He directed that all banks, jewelry shops, moneychangers, financial institutions and important business centers should ensure installation of cameras at any cost. He said that postings of police officers have been made purely on merit in the province so that they could take measures for curbing crime without any fear or favour in their respective areas as well as redress people's grievances. He said that these police officers have also been directed to bring a positive change in Thana culture and police stations should be transformed into centers for provision of justice to the citizens instead of a symbol of terror. The chief minister directed that the campaign for apprehending proclaimed offenders involved in heinous crimes should be further intensified and hideouts of such criminals should be unearthed and combed. He said that Special Branch and CID should also play their due role for tracing proclaimed offenders and gangs of criminals involved in heinous crimes. He said that law and order situation is improving due to the measures taken by the police and administration, however, rooting out of criminal gangs involved in heinous crimes is of vital importance and police should take solid steps for this purpose so that situation could further improve. Home Secretary and IG Police apprised the meeting of law and order situation in the province while District Police Officer Sheikhupura informed about the progress made regarding investigation into the case of looting of gold in Sheikhupura. The participants of the meeting also submitted their proposals for improving law and order.