RAWALPINDI, Aug 10: The government has started verification of low-ranking police personnel throughout Punjab with a view to purging the department of extremist elements, an official source said.

The decision was taken at a meeting on law and order in Islamabad, which was attended by Interior Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, IGPs of the four provinces and Islamabad, besides other officials.

The source said it had also been planned to evolve a system for verification of recruits to avoid entry of extremist elements in the force. He added that the verification of policemen had been started through agencies. In this regard, the National Police Bureau will design a form for verification of the personnel.

The verification of policemen has been started in Rawalpindi and at its first stage, the low-ranking police personnel, including constables and head constables, are being verified.

A security source said instructions had already been given to the special branch to verify those policemen who were deployed on VVIP duties. The decision to purge police from extremists was taken in view of May 7 Hyderi Mosque bomb explosion in Karachi, in which 19 people died and dozens injured, the source said.

According to reports, the man who blew himself up inside the mosque was worker of a banned militant group and had taken part in Afghan jihad. Later, he joined the police as a constable in the year 2002.