“We need to uproot this 30-year-old thana (police station) culture,” he said while addressing a ceremony held to inaugurate a ‘model police station’ in Multan and 22 other cities through video link on Saturday.
In the past, he said, politicians used to appoint police officers of their own choice for personal and political gains, and that is why people started losing trust in the law enforcers.
“They [politicians] would control thana-kutchery system in the past to harass and intimidate their opponents,” he said.
“I was well aware of this issue when I became a lawmaker for the first time, but couldn’t do anything to address it as I had no power to do so,” he said. “However, when we first formed government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, we changed thana culture and purified police of political influence,” he added.
He said department of police will have to restore its credibility in the public eye.
The prime minister said that police should provide sense of protection to the public, adding that police officers are public servants and they should facilitate complainants in the best possible manner at police stations.
Setting up model police stations, he said, is important for public welfare and reflects the PTI government’s desire to improve the current state of affairs.
Imran Khan said modern service delivery at the model police stations will set up an example for all other police stations in the province to emulate.
He said he wants to see Punjab Police develop on the pattern of K-P Police, which he added has won the confidence of people through its performance.
Under the initiative, 29 model police stations have been set up throughout Punjab, where CCTV cameras are also installed to monitor the performance of police.
A helpline 8787 has also been established for registering complaints. A Superintendent of Police (SP) also is deputed to deal with complaints in every district.
Earlier, on arrival at the model police station, a smartly turned out contingent of Punjab Police presented the prime minister guard of honour. Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also accompanied the prime minister.
Giving directions to officers in the session at the Central Police Office here on Friday, he said that in the Police Department, police stations had a fundamental position and steps would be taken to improve working of the police stations.
He said that with the launch of special initiatives, smart policing system would protect the properties and lives of people and the law-abiding citizens would not be afraid of visiting the police stations. He said that 50 police stations were being upgraded as model police stations in different districts. He said the project would be launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan by inaugurating the City Police Station Mianwali on Saturday, Jan 4.
During the meeting, the IGP Punjab also viewed special initiative Model Police Stations of different districts through video link, and the preparations for prime minister’s visit to Mianwali.
AIG Development Hassan Iqbal briefed the meeting about model police stations. He said that in the first phase, 29 police stations including Mianwali district had been upgraded to special initiative police stations. He said that the model police stations buildings had been divided into two parts with an effective use of modern technology.
In the front part of the building, modern technology equipped police counters and waiting rooms have been established where khidmat markaz type counters would provide services and facilities to the visiting citizens through token system.
During the meeting, IGP Punjab Shoaib Dastagir ordered for completing the 21 special inititiative police stations at the earliest. He said that the district police officers (DPOs) should personally monitor and inspect the police stations for their better working.
Additional IGP Logistics, Ghulam Rasul Zahid, DIG Logistics, Capt (retd) Faisal Ali Rana, DIG IT, Ghulam Mehmood Dogar, AIG Operations, Imran Kishwar, AIG Development Hassan Iqbal and other senior police officers were also present on the occasion.
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