No sacred cows: PM Imran Khan directs police to take action against anyone disobeying law

• Country progresses when police do their job, says PM Imran Khan.
  
• "Law enforcement does not mean only sending a poor man behind bars."
• A human society is defined by the rule of law, says the premier.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Wednesday there are no sacred cows in the country and the police should not be afraid to take action against even him or any other minister.

The prime minister said these words after inaugurating the newly established "Eagle Squad" of Islamabad police comprising 100 motorcycle-bound officers.

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed had briefed the premier about the squad as an extension of the Safe City Project. The government has allocated Rs300 million for the project.

The premier, addressing the gathering, said rule of law prevails when everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.

"The police's job is to enforce the law, and a country progresses when the police do their job," the prime minister said, clarifying that law enforcement does not mean to only send a poor man behind bars.

PM Imran Khan said the police should show mercy to the people who earn daily wages and common people, and should take stern action against a powerful person when they break the law.

"No country can have peace and prosperity where common citizens are dealt with a heavy hand by the law, while people in power get off easy," he said.

"The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also said that he would take action against his own daughter if she breaks the law [...] he warned his people that the nations before them were cursed as they did not take action against the powerful," the premier said.

The prime minister said he wanted the establishment of the rule of law in the country, as "might is right is the law of the jungle".

"A human society is defined by the rule of law," he said.

"We are not progressing [...] In the past, when a Pakistani president went to the US, his counterpart received him, when he went to UK, the queen gave him a reception, and we haven't been able to reach that point again as we have not taken action against the powerful people," he said.

The prime minister has inaugurated the newly established "Eagle Squad" of Islamabad police comprising 100 bikes, while Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed had briefed the premier about the extension of Safe City Project.

The government has allocated Rs300 million on the project.

Rashid announces plan to make Islamabad safer

On June 4, the interior minister had said the federal capital would get a new force to maintain law and order which had worsened in recent months.

The interior minister, in a video statement, had promised that the government would take steps to ensure Islamabad is safer in the days to come.

He had said this after two policemen were gunned down in a late-night targeted attack in the city.

Rasheed had said during the PTI government, the number of police martyrs has reached nine, and paid tributes to those sacrificing their lives for peace.

To make Islamabad more secure, an additional 100 Eagle Squads will be inducted, taking the total number of motorcycle squads to 150. They will keep a check on the city with the help of the Safe City and a wireless system, he said.

Sharing more details about the steps taken to improve the law and order situation in the city, he had said currently, Eagle Squads have only two mobile vans while 16 more would be added soon.

The federal capital, he had said, is connected with Punjab and KP and the government would make it a “safe zone”.

“We are going to take important steps this week," he had said.