IG lauds police role in peaceful polls

LAHORE: Inspector General of Police Punjab, Dr Syed Kaleem Imam has said that Punjab Police made a history by helping to conduct election in a peaceful environment despite security threats.

He expressed these views in a prize distribution ceremony, held at Police Lines, Qila Gujjar Singh, in the honour of those officers who had done a great job on the polling day.

Addressing the ceremony, the IG Punjab said police are supposed to provide safety and security to the lives and property of the people; so the officers should do their duty of public service with great rigour and continue taking actions against anti-social elements with the help of law-abiding citizens.

The whole force deserves appreciation for professionalism that had been admired at local as well as international level. He said that Punjab Police exhibited impartiality during the whole election process as well as they ensured the adherence to the election commission’s code of conduct. They also took prompt action upon the intelligence shared by the special branch regarding terrorists and their activities and managed to arrest them leaving their plans unsuccessful. He said that police officers have set a tremendous example by performing duty in extreme weather with dutifulness and team spirit. He said it happened because of the high standard of professionalism that no allegation of being partial was levelled against the police in the province. He advised the officers to maintain this standard of professionalism to win the hearts of the people through public service and continue strict actions against anti-social elements without discrimination.

The ceremony was formally started with the recitation of Holy Quran and Na’at and Fateha was offered for the martyrs of Punjab Police. The ceremony was attended by Lahore CCPO BA Nasir, DIG Operations, Lahore Shehzad Akbar, DIG Investigation Syed Khurram Ali Shah, DIG security division Shaukat Abbas, SSP Admin Usman Akram Gondal, Chief Traffic Officer Capt ® Liaquat Ali Malik, SSP investigation Malik Awais, SSP Discipline Tariq Aziz, operations, investigations, traffic, anti-riots unit, mobiles squad, CRO, CIA, SP headquarters Atif Nazir, SP mobiles Muhammad Nadeem, SPCRO Syed Abdul Raheem Sherazi, SP legal Rana Latif and other officers who got the prize. The IG Punjab awarded cash prizes, certificates and souvenirs to all the officers who performed exceptionally well on Election Day.

Lahore CCPO thanked IGP for gracing the ceremony held at Police Lines. In his address, he told that 33,000 personnel of police did their duty on 3,885 polling stations in Lahore on polling day without caring for of their own lives despite security threats. He said that Lahore police will continue to work with same spirit.

tree plantating: Punjab Primary & Secondary Health Department Secretary Ali Bahadur Qazi has said that district and tehsil headquarters hospitals have been assigned target to plant 1,000 and 500 trees in each hospital respectively. He directed the officials concerned to participate in tree plantation drive actively. According to a handout, he said this while inaugurating tree plantation campaign in Primary and Secondary Health Department by planting a sapling on Monday. Special Secretary Health Dr Ayesha Saeed, Additional Secretary Ammara Khan, Additional Secretary Dr Sadain, Additional Secretary Dr Shehnaz and Deputy Secretary Tanzeel-ur-Rehman also planted a tree.

Ali Bahadur said one hundred saplings would also be planted in the health secretariat. He said the administration of rural health centers and basic health units have also been asked to plant trees in their centres.

He said huge shady trees should be given priority as they were helpful to overcome the environmental pollution and produce oxygen. He said plantation in the hospitals and health centres would provide a healthy environment to the patients.