Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has set a three-month timeline for implementing police reforms across the province.
During a special meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, a detailed review of proposed reforms was conducted. It was decided that body cameras will be installed on 10 personnel at every police station, with the Chief Minister approving funds for the initiative. Officials informed the meeting that 14,000 body cameras and 700 panic buttons will be installed across Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz directed police officials to address every citizen respectfully by saying “Sir” and ensure that minor complaints are resolved within two to three hours. She noted that the police response to harassment complaints is often disrespectful towards complainants, which must be changed.
The meeting also approved the launch of an online FIR registration system for lost documents and identity cards, mobile police stations for women, the Police One app, and the Safe City Monitoring app. The Chief Minister instructed the Inspector General and other senior officers to directly seek public feedback through phone calls.
A briefing during the meeting noted a 48 percent reduction in overall crime and up to an 80 percent decrease in serious crimes across Punjab. It was further shared that an 80-minute response time has significantly reduced negative feedback, with major crime calls reported to be minimal in cities such as Sahiwal and Gujrat.
Maryam Nawaz emphasised that only criminals should fear the police, not the public, and stressed the need to restore public trust in the system. She underscored the importance of a code of conduct, training, grooming, and mock sessions for police personnel, warning that corruption at the top would affect performance at the station level.
She further stated that no one is more important than the public and that mistreatment of citizens in the name of VIP movement will not be tolerated.
Directing authorities to prepare short-, mid-, and long-term reform plans, the Chief Minister remarked that failure to act now would mean missing the opportunity to implement meaningful police reforms.
