ISLAMABAD:Punjab Home Minister Attaullah Tarar on Monday said no candidate will be allowed to carry personal security as the government will provide policemen to protect them during by-elections in the province.

The provincial minister chaired the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Home Affairs on the Law and Order at Civil Secretariat Lahore. Addressing the meeting, Attaullah Tarar said in the light of the Election Commission’s Code of Conduct, that non-discriminatory action should be taken against those who carry weapons beyond political affiliation.

The minister said all candidates contesting the by-elections will be provided police security by the Punjab government and no candidate will be allowed to carry personal security and weapons during the election campaign. He said that in the by-elections of the Punjab Assembly, those who take the law into their own hands will be dealt with severely. He also advised the Safe City Authority to ensure timely repair of all cameras in order to maintain law and order.

Punjab Law Minister Malik Ahmad Khan and Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique specially attended the meeting. The officers briefed the committee members on the law and order situation in Punjab. The meeting expressed concern over the rising incidence of rape.