Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered the scrutiny of 4,000 officers and personnel of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) force.
The decision was taken during the fourth key meeting of the PERA force chaired by the chief minister in Lahore on Thursday, where several major decisions were approved. The meeting was informed that officials involved in illegal activities would not only face suspension but could also be sentenced to up to three years in prison.
The Punjab chief minister ordered a complete review of the service record of every PERA official, including their past conduct. She also directed that body cameras be installed for PERA personnel by June 30.
Instructions were issued to strengthen PERA’s internal intelligence and whistleblower system, while strict action was ordered against elements bringing disrepute to the force.
The meeting was briefed that PERA had obtained ISO certification and that 4,711 posts had been filled out of the sanctioned strength of 8,000 personnel in field formations.
Training for PERA sub-divisional officers will begin from June 1, while enforcement and investigation officers will receive training at Rescue 1122 and PTC Chung centres.
Officials informed the meeting that recruitment of 7,000 personnel would be completed by the end of June, while 133 out of 155 enforcement stations had become operational and the remaining would be completed within the same period.
The briefing stated that PERA was also providing services for 15 special projects, including inspections of marriage halls, checks on petrol pumps and enforcement of market closing timings.
During operations against hoarding and profiteering, 11 FIRs were registered and fines exceeding Rs20 million were imposed, while 6,557 individuals involved in hoarding were arrested.
In anti-encroachment operations, 9,036 kanals of land were retrieved and more than 262,000 raids were conducted.
Officials informed the meeting that emphasis had been placed on corrective measures instead of registration of cases, in line with the chief minister’s policy, with only 439 FIRs registered.
The meeting was told that a PERA 360 dashboard was being developed by integrating 15 to 16 different software systems. All challans would be digitised and the conviction rate stood at 97 per cent.
The chief minister directed strict monitoring of personnel through a centralised 360 dashboard and ordered that PERA be turned into a dedicated regulatory force.
A proposal was also presented to establish a separate PERA training academy in Kallar Kahar or Murree/Kotli Sattian. The chief minister directed that the academy be completed within one year.
CM Maryam raised serious questions over discipline and the reputation of PERA and said any official found involved in corruption or misuse of authority should be made an example.
The meeting was informed that 1,356 inquiries had been initiated over violations of discipline, 304 punishments had been awarded and seven officials were being dismissed from service.
The chief minister further directed that PERA’s internal intelligence and confidential reporting system be made more effective and that officers with questionable reputations be returned to their parent departments immediately.
She said there would be no compromise on public service.
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