Shehbaz Announces Incentives For Policemen, Doubles Financial Assistance

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -22nd Sept,2016) : Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif Wednesday announced to upgrade Constable from grade 5 to 7, Head Constable from 7 to 9, ASI from 9 to 11 and create 13,000 additional vacancies of Head Constable rank to give incentive to the 125,000 police force.

Addressing Police Darbar here at Elite Police Training school Bedian, Shehbaz Sharif also doubled the financial assistance for the families of police martyrs who laid their lives while fighting terrorists from Rs 5 million to Rs 10 million.

The chief minister also announced to construct a memorial for the martyrs of police at a big park. He said no society could progress without observing merit and supremacy of justice and law. That was why Punjab government had adopted a policy of merit in police and other departments.

He said police stations would have to become centers for redressal of grievances of the aggrieved. He said that like others, the sector for provision of justice had also been facing a decline and the situation would have to be changed.

He said time had come to change the 'culture of sale of justice' in police stations and Kutcheries. He appealed to the senior police officers and police force to uphold justice at all costs. He said salaries of subordinate judiciary and police had been increased and additional expenditure of billions of rupees was being borne.

The Punjab police had made commendable efforts for the protection of life and property of people, he said and added that more incentives were being announced for it. He said construction work of the memorial in a big park to commemorate sacrifices of police martyrs would be started immediately.

He said that 13000 new Head Constables would be promoted in the Police departmement on seniority-cum-performance basis. He said that after Elite Force, the Punjab government had set up Counter-terrorism Force for which Inspector General Police, Home Department and other institutions had worked with coordination.

He said such a force had been formed with the collaboration of different institutions as was ready to make any sacrifice for the protection of people and take enemies of peace, terrorists and extremists to their logical end.

He said the role of police force in safeguarding citizens would always be remembered and due to its efforts people were living in peace while there was an impression a few years ago that police was incapable to meet the challenge of terrorism but the situation had changed in Punjab.

He said Police Force, Elite Police and Counter-terrorism Force had written a new history of courage and bravery in the war against terrorism which was appreciated all over the country. He said there was room for further improvement which could be brought about with hard work, honesty and commitment.

The chief minister said on the instructions of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in 2013 elections, work was started for setting up Counter-terrorism Force and progress was being made with commitment and determination in that regard.

He said splendid successes had been achieved in the war against terrorism due to hard work and courage of Pakistan Army, Police force, Elite Force and other security agencies. He said Counter-terrorism Force had been trained on modern lines and officer and Jawans of security institutions were performing their duties with a spirit of martyrdom in the war against terrorism and crime.

He said menace of terrorism would have to be rooted out to come up to the expectations of the people. Though a difficult task yet it could be achieved with determination. The chief minister said when Pakistan Muslim League-N came into power in Punjab in 2008 it was decided on the instructions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to enhance salaries of subordinate judiciary and police so that they could perform their duties regarding protection of life and property of people with a peace of mind.

He said he was told that increase in salaries would put an additional burden of Rs 8 billion on the Punjab government. However, the decision was implemented as it was a matter of the supremacy of justice.

Shehbaz said 60,000 recruitments were being made in the Police department annually on merit while the same policy was being adopted in other departments. He said due to merit policy, educated youth of the poor families were joining police and other departments.

He said the Punjab government had also given a splendid package for the families of police martyrs to save them from financial problems. He said only those nation progressed which face challenges with courage and bravery.

The cief minister said highly competent and educated youth were joining the police force and it was his appeal to them to play an active role for provision of justice to the aggrieved. Time had come to change 'Thana culture,' he added.

Shehbaz Shairf said CPEC was a game changer for Pakistan and those trying to cause delay in the project should mend their ways. He said Pakistan could not afford politics of protest and chaos. He said no one would be allowed to create hurdles in the process of national development or take law in his own hands.

He said 800 more sub-inspectors (SIs) would be recruited while a special unit had been formed for the protection of Chinese engineers working on the CPEC project. The unit comprised 5,000 officials but their number would soon be increased to 10,000.

He said after 70 years, the common man felt that situation was satisfactory today and Pakistan of Quaid and Iqbal was going to become a reality. The chief minister called upon policemen to spare no effort for the protection of CPEC.

He said those who got the visit of Chinese President postponed in 2014, had again come out and wanted to hinder the process of national progress and prosperity. He said the CPEC was aimed at prosperity of future generations and had to be completed at any cost.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Home Secretary, Inspector General Police Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera and senior police officials attended the Darbar.