Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday ordered a strict crackdown on corrupt officials of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulator Authority (Pera) following growing complaints of bribery, unlawful operations, and public harassment.

Chairing a meeting to review the authority’s performance, the chief minister directed all Pera field personnel to wear body cameras by June 30, 2026, to improve transparency and accountability.

“June 30, 2026, is the deadline for equipping Pera field personnel with body cameras,” Maryam Nawaz said, while ordering immediate scrutiny of 4,000 personnel.

She warned that officials involved in illegal activities could face up to three years in prison. “The record of every individual in Pera will be scrutinized.

Those with clean records should remain fearless, but the corrupt must be prepared,” she said.

Pera was established last year to conduct anti-encroachment and price control operations across Punjab.

However, recent complaints accused some officials of taking bribes from vendors and shopkeepers, while several videos circulating on social media allegedly showed personnel harassing citizens.

The chief minister also ordered authorities to strengthen Pera’s internal intelligence and whistleblower systems.

Officials informed the meeting that Pera currently has 8,000 positions, with 4,711 already filled, while recruitment of 7,000 personnel is expected to be completed by the end of June.

Maryam Nawaz directed strict monitoring of officers through a centralized 360-degree dashboard system and ordered that deputation officers with questionable reputations be sent back to their parent departments.

Officials briefed the meeting that 1,356 inquiries had been launched over disciplinary violations, leading to punishment against 304 personnel.

Meanwhile, opposition party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf previously criticized Pera, arguing that the force overlaps with the responsibilities of existing enforcement institutions.

PTI lawmaker Aftab Ahmad Khan had recently called for a legislative review of the authority in a letter to the Punjab Assembly speaker.

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