RAWALPINDI: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab Shoaib Dastagir had expressed his displeasure over non-utilisation of a large part of Rs72 million granted by the Punjab government for purchase of personal protective equipment (PPE).

In a letter to regional police officers, the IGP said Rs45 million of the funds allocated for purchase of PPE were lying unutilised.

The IGP ordered the field offers to utilise the funds for the purchase of PPEs within 14 days.

The novel coronavirus is fast spreading in Rawalpindi division police, and so far more than 105 policemen have been infected with the virus.

The latest case is SP Potohar Division Syed Ali who tested positive on Wednesday and was isolated at his residence.

When a police official was contacted and asked whether he and his fellows were getting protective equipment, he said: “A pair of masks and a small bottle of sanitiser for two persons is given to each police official after every week.”

The pandemic is rapidly spreading among police force in Rawalpindi as the number of positive cases reached 105.

Ratta Amral, Civil Lines and Sadar Barooni police station staffs were the most affected due to the virus, while the number of corona cases were being reported from other police stations too.

A spokesman for police told Dawn that 50,000 masks and sanitisers had been distributed among the police force in Rawalpindi.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2020