Withheld rewards: 4 months later police yet to release bounty

Rs16.4m lying in coffers, officials fear informers will be de-motivated.

LAHORE:

The IG Punjab has not ordered the release of Rs16.4 million in head money to around 30 informers and police teams.

According to a Home Department document available to The Express Tribune, an amount of Rs10 million was released to police in the first week of April to be immediately “distributed amongst informers and police teams as head money.”

According to a separate document, another Rs10 million was placed in the police account in the last week of July with similar instructions.

A senior Punjab government official speaking on the condition of anonymity said the funds were placed in an account operated by the IG. “The payment has been kept pending for four months without justification,” he said.

Punjab Police Public Relations Director Nabila Ghazanfar said Rs3.4 million out of the Rs20 million had been distributed amongst nine informers in May.

“The remaining amount will be distributed amongst police officials in a ceremony after Eid,” the Punjab Police spokesperson added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2012.