Punjab police chief says no decision taken on deployment to KP

Punjab police chief Abdul Kareem told Dawn that no final decision or directive had been issued to move officers to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, amid rumors of a major redeployment.

Officers serving in Attock and Wah Cantt had raised concerns about food, sanitation and exhausting conditions during deployment to counter a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf march. The reported plan to move 25,000 officers remained unconfirmed. Kareem said any decision would be announced officially.

The inspector general confirmed that five officers had died during the two-week deployment. According to his account, two suffered heart attacks, one drowned after slipping into the Ghazi Canal, and two died from serious medical complications. He denied reports that another officer had died after a snakebite, saying that officer was receiving treatment.

Kareem rejected claims that adulterated food was being supplied on a large scale. He said the Punjab Food Authority had been asked to inspect food quality and had deployed teams to ensure hygienic meals and drinking water. His response acknowledges complaints while disputing the extent of the alleged problem.