LAHORE – Punjab Police unveils surprise method to stop custodial killingsin Police Stations as it has banned the camera smartphones entry into thepolice stations.
The officials of Punjab Police have been barred to use mobile phones whenperforming their duties while filming them has aso been restricted.
A communique issued by the additional inspector general on behalf of thePunjab IG on Sunday, states that in future, no officer ‘below the rank ofSHO (Station House Officer) or in-charge of a deployed duty’ will usecellphone while on duty.
The letter stated that it had been observed that police officials wereusing mobile phones while on duty even though clear directions in thisregard have already been conveyed to all field formations.
“Frequent violations of these directions/SOPs reflect badly on theperformance of supervising officers,” it said, stressing that it was theresponsibility of the field formations to get the instructions implemented.
The directives also pertained to filming police officers as it said it was‘strictly forbidden’ to make a video of police officers on duty or upload avideo of police officers performing their duty.
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Moreover, the usage of mobile phones is banned not only for police officersbut public entering police stations as well as per an official.
Rawalpindi Police spokesman, Imran Abbas confirmed that the citizensentering police stations would have to submit their smartphones at thereception.
‘Mobile phones without a camera would be allowed to be carried by thecitizens,’ Abbas told Urdu News.
The directives came days after multiple cases of custodial torture came tothe fore, prompting calls for police reforms in the province.
