LAHORE, April 4: The Punjab police have established investigation cells in all police stations in the Punjab without waiting for the direct recruitment of half of the investigators, Dawn learnt here on Thursday.

“The watch and ward and investigations sides stand bifurcated into all 616 police stations in the province,” sources in the police said.

The investigation was earlier separated from the watch and ward duty of police in Lahore on Feb 15 to begin the process of restructuring police department in the province.

The sources said investigation squads had also been established in big cities like Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan.

They said as many as 1,400 investigators including 10 SPs and 40 DSPs were required for the new cadre in police. Out of them 700 had been posted through internal arrangements like promotion of officials and officers.

“The remaining 700 investigators were to be recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission. But this had not been done so far. At least, we had fulfilled our responsibility,” the sources said.

Former Punjab governor Muhammad Safdar had on Oct 19, 2001, sanctioned Rs100 million for the recruitment of 700 investigation officers through the PPSC.

According to the plan, each of the investigation officer would be given an official motorcycle, requiring to investigate only 50 cases a year.