LAHORE: Punjab Police and traffic personnel will be provided body cameras in phases within the next two months, said Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Kareem on Wednesday.
He was chairing a meeting at the Central Police Office to review the implementation of reform measures in the Punjab Police under the ‘Fast, Fearless, Transparent Justice’ initiative.
He said that panic buttons were being installed outside police stations so that citizens could immediately lodge complaints in case of any misconduct or lack of hearing.
He directed that at all police stations, offices, checkpoints, and Khidmat Marakaz, citizens should be addressed respectfully as “sir or madam” and “sahib or sahiba”. He said that counseling and training of officers and personnel would be arranged to improve the overall perception of Punjab Police’s conduct.
IGP also speaks to citizens through 1787 Complaint Centre
It was made clear that officials involved in corruption, abuse of authority, and misconduct would face immediate and strict accountability.
The IGP directed that CCTV cameras installed in all police stations be kept fully operational and backup systems be ensured.
A modern control and monitoring room was being activated at the Central Police Office for effective monitoring of police stations, while through the Safe Cities mechanism, direct monitoring of police stations, SHOs, moharrirs, and investigation rooms would be carried out.
He emphasised on making core policing, supervision, and the command system more effective for crime control and said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was herself overseeing all police reform measures.
The meeting also issued instructions to strictly enforce traffic laws and to continue the crackdown against violations.
He said that the investigation process and the activities of citizens visiting police stations would be fully recorded and that key performance indicators (KPIs) scorecards would be implemented in practical terms. He said that he was himself calling applicant citizens from the Central Police Office to obtain feedback.
He directed RPOs and DPOs to initiate direct contacts and meetings for redressal of citizens’ grievances, while in cases of abuse, harassment, and violence, investigations involving affected women and children should be conducted within the bounds of complete civility and respect. Instructions were also given to resolve cases of women and children on a priority basis with the help of data from Virtual Women Police Stations and the Center for Child Safety.
Meanwhile, the IGP initiated direct contact with citizens through the 1787 Complaint Center and spoke with several citizens via phone calls. He obtained information about the duration of redressal of received applications and complaints, police response, and overall conduct.
Citizens also shared their feedback regarding the actions taken and responses by the police.
Mr Kareem directed RPOs, DPOs, and other supervisory officers to take immediate action on citizens’ applications and provide relief without delay.
He further directed that all complaints received via phone calls, SMS, email, and other channels be resolved immediately in accordance with the prescribed timelines and SOPs.
He urged citizens to register complaints on 1787 in case of any irregularity or misconduct by the police force.
The IGP received a detailed briefing on the 1787 dashboard and complaints from across the regions.
During the briefing, Punjab Additional IG Imran Arshad, Additional IG (Internal Accountability) Imran Mehmood, Additional IG (Logistics) Fawad-ud-Din Qureshi, AIG Inspection, AIG Operations, and other officers were also present.
Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2026
