LAHORE: The Punjab government has instructed all deputy commissioners as well police formations at districts` level to activate Public Liaison Committees (PLCs) to enhance community watch and security in the wake of evolving security environment and renewed hostile propaganda.

In view of the heightened threat perception, the Punjab home department has asked civil administration to ensure establishment of PLCs across all districts at the police station level by April 20 and for further deeper community integration at mohalla/ward level within three months.

The home department hasidentified Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan and other major urban centres as priority areas to keep a vigilant eye on known sensitive or militancy-affected areas, midsize towns and THQs as well as rural areas bordering high-risk zones or with historical security concerns.

The PLCs` formation will be supervised by the respective district coordination committees. The home department has communicated to all deputy commissioners, CPOs, DPOs and DIG (operations), Lahore, to take measures to enhance local vigilance, build trust between communities and law enforcement agencies and promote a sense of collective own-ership of security efforts.

According to the home department instructions, each PLC will consist four reputable local notables (community elders, traders, elected representatives or religious leaders) from within the respective Thana jurisdiction. The committees should also have two young, energetic and credible individuals for broader public outreach and coordination. The committees will preferably be led by the respective SHOs themselves or their nominated sub-officers. The committees can also co-opt members.

The PLCs will act as community watchdogs, reporting suspicious activity in real time. It will serve as a bridge for information sharing between citizens and police. The committees willalso be a support to law enforcement during religious events, public gatherings or emergencies. These committees will also be required to assist in promoting counter-extremism messaging and civic awareness campaigns atlocallevel.

The home department has asked that the PLCs be integrated into existing police communication platforms such as secure WhatsApp groups, direct call lines or SMS alert systems.

The PLCs will hold monthly coordination meetings, share progress with the DCCs, which eventually pass the information on to the Provincial Implementation Coordination Committee and Provincial Intelligence Fusion & Threat Assessment Centre/home department.