FAISALABAD, March 3: The SHOs of all police stations in the district have been directed to tender clearance certificates to high-up assuring that the areas falling in their jurisdictions will be purged of gambling dens, it is learnt.

The decision to the effect was taken at a meeting held under the chair of DIG (Operations) Muhammad Aslam Tareen. The town police officers and SHOs were also present.

Sources said the SHOs had been given one week to prepare the lists and remove gambling dens after which they would give clearance certificates to the supervisory police officers who would inform the DIG (operations) about the situation.

The police high-ups had passed on the directions to expedite action against gamblers in the wake of the upcoming cricket world cup, they said.

Moreover, special squads would be formed to clamp down on gambling.

An SHO of the city police station told Dawn on the request of anonymity that action had been initiated against the gamblers, but no written directive had been communicated to them so far. — Correspondent