LAHORE: Strict action has been taken against 791 Punjab Police officers and officials over corruption in the past 13 days. The action is part of a drive against corrupt government employees launched on the directions of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
According to Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari, 78 police personnel have been dismissed from service and 60 suspended over corruption. Another 230 have been sent to police lines, a routine step that removes officials from field duties while their conduct is examined.
A further 79 police personnel have been demoted and arrested, she said. Inquiries are under way against 274 personnel, and criminal cases have been registered against 70.
Together, these categories account for all 791 cases of action.
Bokhari said action against corrupt officials is being taken across Punjab’s government institutions as well as the police. The chief minister has adopted a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, she said, and there is no room for corruption or corrupt elements in Punjab.
She thanked citizens who had reported complaints against corrupt government personnel, and said eliminating corruption from Punjab completely was Maryam Nawaz’s mission.
The figures were shared as part of a wider accountability campaign across provincial departments, and the police account for a significant share of the action announced so far. Officials have described public complaints as an important trigger for inquiries, suggesting that citizens’ reports are being fed into departmental processes rather than left unanswered.
The police are the most frequent point of contact with the state, whether registering a complaint, reporting a crime or dealing with traffic enforcement. Corruption at police stations weakens public trust, discourages victims from coming forward and can let offenders go unpunished.
The scale of the action, averaging about 60 personnel a day over 13 days, suggests a concentrated drive rather than routine departmental discipline. The numbers also show a mix of penalties in which includes immediate dismissals where evidence was considered strong, criminal cases where offences were serious, and inquiries where allegations still need to be established.
Suspensions, transfers to police lines and inquiries are interim measures, and personnel facing them keep the right to contest the allegations under departmental rules. Those facing criminal cases are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. The minister did not give a breakdown by rank or district, or details of the specific allegations.
The crackdown comes as the police leadership also focuses on the welfare of honest officers and their families. Inspector General of Police Punjab Abdul Kareem recently ordered immediate relief for police families, reflecting an approach that pairs accountability with support for the force.
Police officers in Punjab work in demanding conditions, from counter-terrorism alerts to crime control in large cities. Rooting out corrupt elements, officials argue, protects the reputation of the many officers who serve with integrity.
With 274 inquiries still pending and 70 criminal cases registered, the number of dismissals and convictions could rise in the coming weeks. How these cases conclude, and whether the drive is sustained beyond its first phase, will show whether it brings lasting change to policing in the province.
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