Seven new safe city projects being launched: IG

LAHORE: With a view to make other cities as safe as Lahore, seven new safe city projects are being launched in Kasur, Multan, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Bahawalpur and Gujranwala on fast track.

This was stated by Punjab IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi while presiding over annual performance 2018 review meeting held at Punjab Safe Cities Authority office at Qurban Line Lahore on Wednesday. Managing Director Malik Ali Amir and Chief Operating Officer Akbar Nasir Khan briefed the IG about the annual performance of the project while Chief Administration Officer Muhammad Kamran Khan, Chief Financial Officer Nisar Ahmed Cheema were also present at the occasion.

While briefing IGP, the COO said told that the Authority’s Operations Monitoring Center secured more than 100,000 observations that warranted, as in proactive measures, interception of more than 2,106 suspicious persons by PRU and Dolphin Squad and a thorough probing of 24,523 suspicious vehicles. A total of 9,460 vehicles and motor bikes were spotted and intercepted for having no or non-standard number plates and action was taken duly by the ground units thereof.

The 15 Emergency Helpline received 4,012,900 calls, out of which, 75 pc calls were considered hoaxes and on approximately 490,594 calls, with genuine concerns, the Dispatch Control Center (DCC) provided police and medical response to citizens and motorists.

The number of calls received on Police & Emergency Helpline this year remained roughly 4 million against 3.5 million of the last year. PPIC3 centre served Electronic Data Evidence Acquisition requests initiated by Punjab Police and other LEAs by releasing data pertaining to more than 1,745 heinous crime cases in addition to showing playback footage to Investigation Officers in 4,487 instances. PSCA extended its services in 15,071 cases pertaining to Rescue and 1,473 cases pertaining to fire emergencies. The PSCA Lost & Found Center also set its mark high this year thereby contributing to the recovery of 67 missing persons, 24 Cars, 1,293 motor bikes and 37 Auto-Rickshaws through its Lost & Found center. The Media Monitoring Center continued its campaigns regarding road safety, E-Challaning and efficient use of 15 emergency helpline on official twitter account PSCA safe cities and official Facebook account Punjab Safe Cities. PSCA is diligently playing its part in enhancing road-sense by displaying directives and situational messages on its Variable Messaging Service (VMS) displayed on LCDs across all major roads of the metropolis along with speed limit boards. PSCA has also initiated a crackdown in coordination with Punjab Police and CTP against illegal and NCP vehicles or those with fake number plates. PSCA is determined to extend its services and cooperation with LEAs, and all others in need, whenever required.

OPC: Vice Chairperson Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) Punjab Waseem Akhtar has said on the special instructions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, OPC is engaged in providing various services to expatriates and a comprehensive policy is being pursued to facilitate them. Addressing the participants of a reception arranged by Overseas Pakistanis settled in Dubai he said OPC is playing an active role to settle the issues of Overseas Pakistanis and they can any time contact OPC for resolution of their problems.

He said Overseas Pakistanis are real ambassadors of the country and main purpose of establishing OPC is to provide them a useful and effective platform for resolving their problems.