LAHORE
Punjab IGP Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera has said police and media are determined to identify and eliminate social evils and they should work together for public welfare.
He said police officers should ensure that relevant information is provided to media in time. On the other hand, it is responsibility of the media to present both sides of the story and reality to the public.
This is need of the hour to bridge the gap between police and media and both of them should work together in this regard with a positive mind and sincerity. IGP stated this while addressing to the participants in concluding ceremony of two-day Media Management Training Workshop held at Central Police Office. The workshop was organised by Pakistan Peace Collective, a sub-department of Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and Cultural Heritage.
Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera appreciated Pakistan Peace Collective for its support in re-establishment of the Directorate of Public Relations at Central Police Office and said security forces are dealing with so many challenges and it is very important that authentic and timely information is provided to public through media.
Messages of determination and courage should be relayed through media so that the nation can firmly fight against menace of terrorism.
District and City Police Officers from 20 districts of upper Punjab including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Gujrat, Nankana Sahib, Kasur, Sargodha, Attock, Jhelum, Chiniot, Mandi Bahauddin, Bhakkar, Jhang, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hafizabad, Lodhran, Toba Tek Singh, Narowal and Sheikhupura participated in the workshop.
Journalists Katrina Hussain, Tahir Imran Mian, Mahreen Khan and Pakistan Peace Collective officials had interactive sessions with police officers regarding media handling and management. Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said Punjab police has organised this training for senior field officers so that they can align themselves with the needs of modern media because in this era it is impossible to ignore the importance of media.
DIG Operations Punjab, Aamir Zulfiqar Khan, said good professional relations between police and media will not only help to cope with any crisis situation but also will help to build a better image of police.
Rescue Mohafiz programme: The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) has formally launched Rescue Mohafiz Programme to establish Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) to enhance emergency preparedness, response and prevention for healthy, safe and prosperous communities in all union councils of Punjab.
The launching ceremony was organised at PCSIR Auditorium. Addressing the ceremony, Dr Rizwan Naseer paid rich tribute to the volunteers of the world on their selfless services for the humanity. Although, he said, Rescue 1122 has rescued over 4.5 million emergency victims but there is a dire need to work for sustainable development goals (SDGs), healthy and safer communities in Pakistan. He said Rescue 1122 is launching Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) in accordance with Punjab Emergency Service Act 2006. Every person enrolled with CERTs will be called as Rescue Mohafiz.
He said the purpose of this Rescue Mohafiz Programme is to establish CERTs for emergency preparedness, response and prevention of emergencies, promoting healthy & safe living, fire & building safety, road traffic accidents prevention, clean water & sanitation solution and cleaning and recycling campaign. A video message of Shahbaz Sharif was also aired. The CM appealed to the citizens to join CERTs and become Mohafiz of their streets, towns and cities.
Addressing to ceremony, MNA Shaista Pervaiz Malik said the government is establishing CERTs under the umbrella of Rescue 1122 through which we can work effectively for prevention of emergencies. She said that she signed an MoU with Rescue 1122 in June 2014 as CM’s Chief Social Mobilizer to create socially responsible and trained citizens in Punjab.
Minister Rana Mashhood termed the launching of Rescue Mohafiz Programme as a historic step of the government and Punjab Emergency Service through which each citizen would be able to work with shoulder-to-shoulder of rescuers. He said: “We shall go to each union council of the Punjab and will work for safe, secure, healthy and prosperous society. He said he was happy to know that Dr Rizwan Naseer has rejoined Rescue 1122 and has taken a very positive step for launching CERTs under visionary leadership of CM Punjab. On this occasion, he appealed to media practitioners and citizens to join Rescue 1122 as Rescue Mohafiz as he also announced to be the first “Rescue Mohafiz”. He announced awarding Rescue Mohafiz Award in future. Earlier, the CEO Humanetek Fahad Mahmood Khan briefed about “Mohafiz Mobile Application” through which any citizen can open play store/ App Store and App Box and get register themselves while giving their name, mobile number and CNIC.
The citizens can also visit nearest Rescue Station in Punjab to get registration form for the same purpose. Commendatory certificates were distributed among Rescue Mohafiz of NA-123 and other areas.
