LAHORE, July 17: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said on Monday police working needed to be monitored strictly.

Addressing inaugural ceremony of the Citizen Police Liaison Committee CPLC, the chief minister said required results could not be expected from the police without monitoring.

For this purpose, he added, he had been chairing meetings every month to review the police progress.

Mr Elahi said the CPLCs would serve as a platform for public to extend their cooperation and suggestions to police to fight crime. Now, he added, it was publics responsibility to utilise this platform. He appealed to the people to send their suggestions regarding the crime and punishment system, change in police station culture and improvement in the police working.

He said the CPLCs would enjoy all powers under the Police Order, while instructions had been given to the Punjab IGP for a complete cooperation with the committees.

Asking for promotion of community policing, the CM appreciated traders’ community for its financing the installation of close-circuit cameras and purchase of motorcycles for fighting crime.

Earlier, the CPLC Chairman, Justice (retd) Muhammad Asif Jan briefed the CM on programmes being devised by the committee to fight crime, especially vehicle and cell phone snatching. He said the committee was also in touch with its Karachi chapter for consultation on evolving strategies for working with police.

BUSINESS WATCH PROGRAMME: The city police in collaboration with Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday launched a Business Watch Programme.

The LCCI office-bearers, Operations police chief DIG Aamir Zulfikar Khan and all of his SPs attended the programme which had reportedly been designed to fight crime and make the city into a business friendly place.

The DIG gave a briefing on law and order, and said that basic objective behind the programme was to take the business community into confidence and make efforts to give them a safe and secure environment to help flourish business activity.

LCCI president Mian Shafqat Ali said that business community would extend cooperation to the police in its efforts to make society crime free. He said that the Business Watch Programme had been devised on the lines of Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CLPC) working in Karachi, and hopefully it would be able to address problems being faced by the business community.

The president said that the LCCI would not only ensure provision of funds to the police, but it would also help impart computer training to the lower cadre staff.