LAHORE: The Punjab police have ‘accelerated’ internal accountability drive against corruption, abuse of powers and misconduct as they took disciplinary action and punished 35 personnel, including SHOs, in January.

They also decided to blacklist corrupt policemen for field postings in future with a prime objective of winning public confidence.

Sharing details, a senior officer said the Lahore operations wing police dismissed from service three inspectors, as many sub-inspectors, and a clerk while 28 others faced penalties such as salary deductions and service forfeiture.

Comparatively, he said, 297 police personnel were subjected to disciplinary action in 2024, averaging approximately 25 penalties per month. They included 19 inspectors, 38 sub-inspectors, 12 assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs), and 228 low-ranked officers.

The trend, he said, clearly highlights a consistent crackdown on corruption and abuse of power, particularly in the operations wing which has seen the highest number of complaints.

Breaking previous institutional norms, the official said Lahore police’s accountability drive has not been limited to junior officers. A high-level inquiry has been launched against a Superintendent of Police (SP) accused of abusing authority.

Taking about the actions, DIG Operations Faisal Kamran said the increase in complaints against police officers was a direct result of the elimination of political interference in the force.

“A review of Lahore Operations Wing’s accountability record and SHOs’ postings over the past nine months clearly indicates that corrupt officers are being removed from positions of power,” the DIG said.

“One of the most significant outcome of this accountability drive has been the narrowing gap between law enforcement force and public. Citizens are now more confident in approaching the police with their grievances, knowing that complaints will be addressed fairly and swiftly,” he said.

Open public hearings have witnessed a `massive’ increase in participation. Over the past 10 months, more than 5,000 citizens have personally lodged complaints with the DIG’s open forums, while 30,000 attended similar sessions held by SPs, SDPOs, and SHOs.

“When people see that corrupt officers are being penalised without discrimination, they begin to trust the system. That’s why more citizens are coming forward with complaints,” says Faisal Kamran.

According to him, an analysis of recent police postings reveals that officers facing corruption allegations are no longer being rotated into leadership roles.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2025