FAISALABAD, Oct 21: Police working is suffering and people are facing a great deal of hardship owing to delay in the posting of Saddar and Headquarters SPs. The post of the SP Headquarters has been lying vacant since June, and the Saddar SP seat fell vacant following the transfer of Rana Tauqeer Hayat as SP investigation after the suspension of SP Abdullah Khalid, an accused in the Sonia Naz case, on Aug 31.

The SP Headquarters is responsible for issuance of character certificates to visa and job-seekers. Likewise, the foreigners visiting Faisalabad are bound to report to his office about their stay, engagements, arrival and departure.

Hundreds of applicants visit the SP Headquarters’ offices daily to get character certificates, but are seen so disappointed and disrupted owing to non-availability of the official. It is obligatory for the applicants to appear before the SP for a verification of their credentials and interview as well.

The SP Headquarters is also responsible for maintaining police stations, transportation, boarding and logistic facilities for police officials and working of over 5,600 police personnel of the district besides an inspection of 15 police stations in the rural areas.

For want of a full-time Saddar SP, the working of the rural areas’ police stations is also suffering badly. The city SP has been given the additional charge of both the offices with an assignment of supervising the working of 28 police stations of the district, including 15 of the rural areas.

Police sources said the SP city had so far not conducted any inspection of the police lines, police posts and stations in the rural areas.