- Punjab IG orders mock drills in educational institutions.
- SDPOs, SHOs to coordinate with CTD, LAEs in operations.
- IG Anwar directs door-to-door knocking operations.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar on Monday ordered a high alert across the province, directing police officials to immediately carry out sweep and combing operations.
Chairing a high-level security meeting in Lahore, IG Anwar directed officials to ensure heightened security across the province, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, and other major cities.
He ordered the sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) and station house officers (SHOs) to coordinate with the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and other security agencies for the operations.
The Punjab IG also said that the CTD and SDPOs, in coordination with other security agencies, should conduct mock drills in educational institutions to test preparedness.
IG Anwar ordered the installation of CCTV cameras at all entry and exit points of educational institutions, deployment of security guards, and implementation of emergency evacuation plans.
Further, directives were issued for the immediate profiling and data checks of individuals coming from outside the province.
He ordered continuous monitoring of all banned organisations, including the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
He also called for extensive door-to-door knocking to counter potential terrorism and extremist elements.
During the meeting, the Punjab IG also highlighted the recent successes of the traffic police, saying the department’s efforts led to a 930% increase in traffic licensing.
He lauded the DIG Operations for a 46% reduction in crime rate in Lahore and praised the Crime Control Department (CCD) for its outstanding performance in tackling crime and drug trafficking.
The Punjab IG also commended the DIG Traffic for the enforcement of traffic laws, resulting in a significant decline in road accidents.
IG Anwar announced that Punjab police will see an additional 3,500 promotions in the coming days.
The Punjab IG’s directives about security arrangements come soon after the CTD announced that it had arrested 12 suspected terrorists allegedly linked to the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (Raw) in separate operations in major cities of the province.
According to a Punjab CTD spokesperson, the arrests were made in Lahore, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur.
The spokesperson said that weapons, explosives and detonators were also recovered from the suspected Indian spy agency members. The CTD officials also seized photos and videos of sensitive locations and institutions, he added.
