Punjab government has ordered an immediate crackdown on the unauthorised use of official protocol, including permanent police escorts and official flags on vehicles by government officials and private individuals.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, the provincial government said that Chief Minister (CM) Maryam Nawaz Sharif had directed the authorities to take immediate action against those using official protocol without approval.
The Chief Minister’s Office has issued a notification titled “Chief Minister’s Priority Instructions”, directing the relevant departments to ensure compliance with the orders.
Under the instructions, police escorts cannot be permanently assigned without valid authorisation to provincial cabinet members, advisers, special assistants to the chief minister, parliamentary secretaries, standing committee chairpersons, members of the Provincial Assembly, government officers or private individuals.
The notification also bars people who are not legally entitled to do so from installing flagstaffs or displaying official flags on their vehicles.
The provincial police officer and inspector general of police have been directed to implement the orders immediately and withdraw all police escorts deployed without proper authorisation.
The move comes as CM Maryam has also directed police officials to improve law and order across the province, with particular attention to crimes against women and children.
Earlier, the chief minister gave police officials four weeks to improve the situation and warned that the officers concerned could face dismissal if they failed to meet the deadline.
She also expressed concern over the law and order situation in Rawalpindi Division and instructed police to step up action against serious crimes, internal corruption and the illegal possession of firearms.
The directives were issued during a special meeting on law and order, attended by District Police Officers (DPOs) and Regional Police Officers (RPOs) through video link.
