LAHORE – From the fortified building of the Provincial Police Headquarters to shabby police stations in rural areas, the police functioning has been accelerated, thanks to the Supreme Court of Pakistan for taking up issues, being faced by ordinary people across Punjab.
Cops serving in both the Investigation and Operation Wings of the Punjab police have been directed to remain on their toes to control crimes and ensure speedy trial of criminal cases pending in the courts.
Last week, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry had directed the Punjab police Inspector General to submit challans of all under-investigation cases in the province within three days. The apex came hard on the police after it was told some police officers repeatedly extended judicial remand through fake signatures of a magistrate to keep the accused in detention.
In response, the IGP told SC that at least 23,000 cases were being investigated while challans of 2,316 cases had not been sent to courts and assured the court that the guilty officers would not be spared.
Early next day, the IGP called an urgent meeting of all the senior police officers and warned the cops that no delaying tactics, negligence, and any kind of hindrances would be acceptable in provision of justice. Mohammad Habib-ur-Rahman reviewed in detail the pending challans and directed the concerned police officers to ensure their speedy submission. He also sent a strong message to the police force by issuing explanation letters to 32 senior police officers on account of non-submission of challans.  Police circles say that the newly-appointed IGP Mohammad Habib-ur-Rahman has come up with two-prong strategy to cope with the emerging challenges, which include fighting crime and corruption simultaneously while ensuring justice at grass-root level.
Insiders revealed that the IGP has directed police investigators to step up massive crackdown against the Proclaimed Offenders and each police station has been assigned a specific task in this regard.
It was also reliably learnt that the IGP has activated a monitoring and vigilance cell in the police headquarters for spying the policemen with bad repute. The cell has also been directed to quickly respond to the complaints being filed against cops with corruption allegations. Similar ‘spying cells’ are being established at the Regional and District police headquarters.
Meanwhile, CIA police have also been ordered to step up investigations on crimes cases of heinous nature.   More surprisingly, the IGP himself has begun surprise raids on police stations located in big cities as well as rural areas. Another police source said that the next scheduled conference of Regional Police Officers at the PHQ would be vital as the top police hierarchy, has decided to replace any police officer whose working was not upto the mark. The department would also initiate disciplinary action against such officers.
Mohammad Habib-ur-Rehman, the 48th Inspector General of Punjab Police, must also ensure merit based postings and transfers to introduce visible reforms in the policing.