LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday inaugurated 33 mobile police stations that would provide 14 services, including the registration of cases, across Punjab, an official statement said.

Six of these units would be dedicated for addressing issues faced by women, the statement quoted Punjab Home Secretary Ahmad Javed Qazi as saying during a briefing on the initiative.

“Under the operational framework, each mobile police station will be headed by a sub-inspector, supported by a field supervisor, a senior station assistant and male and female constables,” the statement said.

The relevant station house officer (SHO) and beat officer would remain present in the field to oversee operations in line with standard operating procedures (SOPs), it added.

The mobile units would deliver 14 key police services, ranging from the registration of first information reports (FIRs) and online e-tagging to tenant registration, employee verification and criminal record checks.

“Citizens lodging complaints for FIRs will be provided with an immediate online e-tag for subsequent tracking.”

They would also be able to report lost documents, such as national identity cards and chequebooks, directly through these units, it said.

“Additionally, the mobile stations will facilitate the public in obtaining character certificates alongside [providing] comprehensive driving licence services, including the issuance of learner permits, renewals, duplicate licences and international driving permits.”

The statement said the vans would visit universities and women’s colleges according to a fixed schedule and “further deployment will be dynamically mapped based on real-time crime data and calls received on the emergency police helpline 15”.

“To ensure public awareness, the itinerary of the vans will be disseminated via social media platforms, supplemented by local announcements from neighbourhood mosques prior to a unit’s arrival in a specific area,” it added.

The statement said that senior station assistants would manage all IT operations, digital database entries, and online tracking while constables would assist in guiding visitors.

As CM Maryam inaugurated the service, she inspected one of the newly launched units, reviewed its operational capabilities and interacted with the on-duty personnel, it added.

“This initiative will help bridge the divide between the public and the police while saving citizens valuable time and travel expenses, especially those residing in far-flung and underserved areas,” the statement quoted her as saying.

She added that specialised staff had been assigned to the ‘Pink Mobile Police Stations’ to handle sensitive cases involving harassment, domestic violence, and offences against women and children with empathy and privacy.