LAHORE: The Punjab Police senior command has decided to reorganise and make the department’s Internal Accountability Branch (IAB) the ‘key player’ in the ongoing campaign against corrupt police officials in all ranks, following chief minister’s recent directions to root out corrupt officials.

In this regard, key approvals were granted in a high-level meeting which was chaired by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Abdul Kareem the other day.

A senior official privy to the meeting says it discussed the recent instructions by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to purge department of corrupt officers and took various decisions in the light of her instructions.

He says that the marathon meeting deliberated on important measures and granted approval to make the IAB a more effective, empowered and decisive forum to initiate departmental proceedings against the police officials found involved in corruption across the province.

Punjab Additional IG Imran Arshad, Internal Accountability Branch Additional IG Imran Mahmood, Headquarters DIG Dr Muhammad Abid Khan, DIG IT Mansoorul Haq Rana and other police officers from inspection, complaints, admin and security branches attended the meeting.

During the session, the official says, the IGP assigned a key responsibility to the IAB DIG to review, on a daily basis, the complaints the branch was receiving from across Punjab against the police officials from sub inspector (SI) to higher ranks.

The meeting reviewed measures aimed at further strengthening the ongoing campaign against corruption in Punjab Police, improving accountability system and enhancing the IAB’s capacity. It decided that the inquiries into allegations of corruption, corrupt conduct etc by the officials in the SI and higher ranks shall be personally conducted by the regional SPs of the IAB. Previously, such inquiries were sent back to the districts and regions concerned, making a room for the guilty officials to influence the crooked system to get back their posts, the official says.

“However, as per the meeting’s policy decision, such inquiries shall not be referred to the concerned districts or regions,”says the official. He adds that it will help police high command get rid of the ‘black sheep’ in the department for good.

He says that the IGP ordered that all complaints against police officers and personnel that were disposed of on the basis of “ Complainant not willing to pursue” shall be reopened and, where necessary, fresh inquiries shall also be conducted.

Similarly, Mr Kareem directed that complaints related to investigations shall be marked to an officer of SP rank for further proceedings and necessary action, the official adds.

The meeting decided that the IAB DIG shall closely monitor disciplinary action initiated in the light of inquiries conducted by the branch, while such matters may also be reviewed at the Central Police Office, if necessary.

“It was decided in the meeting that to make the accountability process more effective, the post of AIG Inquiries shall be restored, while appointments against all vacant posts of regional SPs and DSPs in the Internal Accountability Branch shall be made on a priority basis,” says the official.

He says the meeting also decided to provide adequate funds and additional budget to make the branch ‘financially autonomous’ as the Punjab police chief believes that financial and administrative autonomy will enable the IAB officers to perform their duties independently.

The IGP said the IAB would also benefit from information provided by the Special Branch in the accountability process so that action against corruption and departmental irregularities could be made more effective.

At the conclusion, the meeting expressed its resolve to make the IAB more effective and ensure stringent implementation of the zero-tolerance policy against corruption, to enhance transparency and accountability in Punjab Police, the official says.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2026