Maryam vows to equip police with body cameras

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, while directing authorities to improve police performance, said on Thursday they wanted to equip police with body cameras to ensure transparency and better behaviour.

She said: “Real-time monitoring of police personnel will be possible when they are equipped with body cams. The purpose of installing body cameras is to improve police behaviour and ensure monitoring. The use of social media by police is affecting their service delivery.”

She directed police officers to focus on professionalism instead of social media. “Protection of people’s life and property is the government’s foremost priority.”

Earlier, she was told that on her directions, the Home Department had issued orders to ban the use of social media by police officials. She was told in compliance with her directions, police operation, investigation and traffic wing personnel will be equipped with body cams. Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal has issued a letter to IGP Punjab Dr Usman Anwar in this regard.

In her message on the martyrdom day of 1965 war hero Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed, a recipient of Nishan-e-Haider, Maryam said a martyr’s demise lends a new lease of life to the nation. She said: “Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed sacrificed his precious life for the sake of Pakistan. He surprised even the enemy with his bravery. He set an everlasting example of courage. The entire nation is proud of his sacrifice for the defence of the country. Those who lay down their lives to defend the dear motherland are heroes of the entire nation. Pakistan is proud of the great sacrifices of its valiant martyrs.”

While taking notice of violence against a polio team in Lahore, she said polio workers are doing a national duty of saving children from disability. “Obstruction in anti-polio vaccination campaign will not be tolerated.” She sought a report on the incident which took place in UC 69, Data Ganj Bakhsh Town.