RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi city police officer has issued notices to 10 senior officers to clear Rs5.8 million in outstanding dues, following directions from the inspector general of police seeking details of available and required accommodation for police officers.

Sources said notices were served to personnel ranking from senior superintendent of police to additional inspector general of police to clear dues in the form of rent for official residences they had occupied during their posting, which some of them were still using despite being posted in other districts.

A police official who asked not to be named confirmed that notices were served to all senior officers who served in Rawalpindi to clear their dues and vacate official residences if they had been posted out of the district.

The families of some officers who have been posted outside the district are still occupying official residences in Police Lines Rawalpindi, while other officers have even encroached on government land to extend their residences in Police Lines.

He revealed that two or three official residences have been locked because, while no one is residing within them, the officers do not want to vacate them.

Police officers who have occupied houses that they were not alloted have been asked to vacate them.

He said the shortage of official accommodation for officers could only be solved after officers who were still occupying houses or flats vacate them and pay outstanding dues.

Another police official said officers living in official accommodations have to pay rent plus 5pc in maintenance charges. The rent goes to the government while the maintenance charges go to another government department.

Regional Police Officer Ahmed Ishfaq Jhangeer has sought details of available and required accommodation for police personnel in the Attock, Jhelum and Chakwal districts. Sources said district police officers from all three areas had sent these details.

The police have faced a critical shortage of accommodation for low-ranking to senior officials. In some cases, senior officials have gone to civil court to justify their occupation of official residences despite being transferred out of the district.

Meanwhile, low-ranking officials say it has been a dream of theirs to receive official accommodation during their service.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2019