LAHORE, April 27: City’s senior police officers have reportedly ‘boycotted’ the dengue prevention meetings being held twice a week in protest against what they say humiliating attitude of the environment secretary with a deputy superintendent of police, it is learnt.

They decided not to attend the next dengue meetings after Qillah Gujar Singh DSP Khalid Mateen Khan complained to his seniors that in the last meeting on Tuesday environment secretary Saeed Wahla used `obnoxious language’ against him and adopted `uncivilized, immoral and impolite behavior which was quite reprehensible’.

After listening to his subordinates, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Aslam Tareen wrote to the Home Secretary and Inspector General of Police Punjab for a departmental inquiry to dig out as to why his police officer was targeted in the presence of senior government officials.

When contacted, Mr Tareen confirmed that he had written a letter to the authorities concerned for a thorough probe.

Headed by special assistant to chief minister on health Khawaja Salman Rafique, the meeting is convened on Tuesdays and Fridays regularly to review arrangements for the eradication of dengue.

No representative from the police department attended dengue prevention meeting held on Friday at 90 Shahra-i-Qaid Azam in protest.

An insider of the meeting said Mr Wahla got annoyed when DSP Mateen tried to occupy a chair next to him (Wahla) to attend the Tuesday session. Khawaja Salman Rafique was chairing the meeting.

On the objection raised by the environment secretary, the police officer left the chair and occupied another one.

Mr Wahla again raised objection about the presence of a police officer in the dengue prevention meeting.

On this, the DSP told the environment secretary that a representative from the police department was also invited to every meeting besides senior government officials of other departments.

Later both exchanged hot words on the issue. Kh Salman Rafique intervened and tried to resolve the matter when the environment secretary kept on criticizing the police officer.

Later, the DSP brought the matter to the notice of his seniors and informed him about the `humiliation’ meted out to him by a senior bureaucrat.

On the written complaint of the DSP, the CCPO requested the IGP: “The matter may kindly be taken up with senior officials and a departmental inquiry may be got conducted by associating Dr Imran and Kh Salman Rafique to know the facts.”

Responding through a text message, environment secretary Saeed Wahla said the DSP was asked to vacate seats meant for secretaries. “By the way has police become so much unbridled that for CM’s meeting they only send a DSP level officer”, he asked.

Meanwhile, participants of Friday’s meeting reviewed steps taken by various departments for the eradication of the dengue virus.

The meeting was told that during ongoing door-to-door campaign some 9,000 volunteers have been registered for the prevention of dengue. These volunteers are getting training through workshops. — Asif Chaudhry