RAWALPINDI - Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Haji Habib-ur-Rehman has said that the judicial probe is underway about the police encounter that had taken place in Chontra earlier this month in which a police officer had embraced martyrdom and four proclaimed offenders were killed.

He expressed these views while answering the questions of media men at a press briefing he held after presiding a meeting with Rawalpindi Division police officers at Hassan Raza Complex Police Line Number 1 here on Thursday to review the over all performance of police.
The IGP said that the “Chontra police encounter” was not the fake but real one as a large number of hardcore criminals and POs were taking refuge at a house in Chontra. He said that he had also attended the funeral prayer of martyred Assistant Sub Inspector whereas Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif had summoned the widow of ASI to Lahore and handed her over a cheque of Rs 3 million; a house was awarded and made free of cost arrangements for the education of his children. “A total of 80 police encounters were held in across the province in last four months against the criminals and POs and all were real” he said in response of another question. Taking notice of the fitness of police officers, the IGP said that instructions have been issued to the police officers to reduce their wastes besides taking care of physical fitness. “The maximum waste size of police officers should be 38 inches by June 30 or else they will not be allowed to carry out field duties,” he said.  He also said that keeping in view the less number of cops in various police stations, the CM has given approval of employing 10,000 constables every year to cater the shortage of strength in police force. “At present employment of 600 constables which would be would also be increased,” he said.
IGP Haji Habib-ur-Rehman informed that an Internal Accountability Cell (IAC) comprising honest police officers has been established to purge the police department from menace of corruption. IGP further revealed that and the cell would be made responsible for quick and immediate action on public complaints.
So far three meetings of the Promotions Board have been convened to promote the DSPs as SPs after finalizing principles and removing hurdles with the consultation of all stakeholders. “The DSPs of executive cadre, DSPs of traffic and DSPs of legal cadre have been promoted as SPs after holding the meeting of promotion board” the provincial police chief said.
He said that earlier he had visited Southern Punjab holding meeting with police officers at regional level to monitor the police working and to ensure provision of justice at grass root-level. “Now I started visiting districts and reviewing performance of the police at district level from Rawalpindi,” he said.
He also said that he has been out from his office as part of the CM’s vision to change the ‘Thana culture’ and improve the working of the law enforcement agency.  The IGP further said that the police stations would be made “Darul-Aman” instead of “Daraul Dehshat” by changing the thana culture. All types of interference would be discouraged in the police stations so that justice could be provided on merit to the complainants.
Regional Police Officer (RPO) Captain (retd) Muhammad Zubair, City Police Officer (CPO) Azhar Hameed Khokher, SSP (Operations) Dr Akhter Abbas, City Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Ishtiaq Hussain Shah, SP Rural Waheed-ur-Rehman Khattak, SP Waral Town Chaudhry Hanif, DSPs and many other police officers were also present on this occasion. Later, IGP Punjab Haji Habib-ur-Rehman awarded certificates and cash prizes among 107 police cops, who performed very well in Chontra Police Encounter, and many others for performing their duties with dedication and honestly.