LAHORE: The Punjab government has approved the establishment of the riot management force through the Right to Peaceful Protest Act 2024.
The approval was given during a meeting of the cabinet standing committee on legislative and privatisation affairs chaired by Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman on Friday. Punjab Law Minister Malik Sohaib Ahmed Bharath and secretaries of the concerned departments participated in the meeting.
Commenting on the new force, the Punjab finance minister described the establishment of the riot management force as a need of the hour, directing the selection of mentally and physically resilient personnel and specialised crowd psychology training to ensure effective management of protests.
He emphasised that peaceful protest is a democratic right of citizens, while ensuring law and order is the government’s duty. He noted that the government is not only recognising this right but also legislating to safeguard it. “The establishment of a riot management force will guarantee both the right to peaceful protest and public order, preventing violent incidents like those of May 9. For this purpose, amendments will be introduced in the Police Order 2002,” he added.
On this occasion, the Committee also approved an eight-point agenda covering key legislative and administrative initiatives. These included the formulation of a legal framework under the Waqf, Trusts and Cooperative Societies (Monitoring) Act, and approval of a letter of intent to strengthen friendly ties between Punjab and Guizhou Province, China.
The meeting also reviewed matters related to the creation of the post of director general of forests and the delegation of departmental powers. Proposed amendments to the Forest Act 1927 by the Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Department were discussed, alongside revisions to the Punjab Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2022 recommended by the Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Mal Department.
On social reforms, the Finance Minister stated that amendments to the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act would enhance access to opportunities, while addressing concerns of the visually impaired community.
Regarding environmental reforms, he said that amendments to the Forest Act 1927 would modernise departmental functions, strengthen conservation of forests and wildlife, and improve enforcement capacity. A dedicated forest force will be constituted to implement laws against deforestation and poaching, while penalties for illegal logging and hunting of endangered species will be increased, he added. On this occasion, the Punjab Law Minister appreciated the forest department’s draft amendments and conservation plan, offering further recommendations to strengthen them.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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