Rs. 245 Million Worth of Weapons Missing from Punjab Police Stockpiles
An alarming audit report for the fiscal year 2023-24 has revealed that arms and ammunition valued at over Rs. 245.5 million have gone missing from various institutions under the Punjab Home Department, prompting a formal investigation, according to Dawn News.
The audit, presented to the Punjab Assembly, details widespread losses and theft of arms across police offices in 12 districts, with none of the missing items recovered to date.
Among the most significant cases, the District Police Officer (DPO) Muzaffargarh reported missing weapons worth Rs. 83.4 million between 2021 and 2023. The DIG Operations Lahore office reported losses totaling Rs. 47.1 million, while the Police Office Lahore reported missing inventory worth Rs. 46.8 million.
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Additional losses were recorded in several other districts, including:
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Multan: Rs. 7.4 million
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Sialkot: Rs. 5.6 million
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Sahiwal: Rs. 4.3 million
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Okara: Rs. 3.8 million
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Gujrat: Rs. 3.5 million
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Faisalabad: Rs. 2.6 million
In light of these revelations, Punjab Home Secretary Noorul Amin Mengal has launched a formal inquiry. A special committee has been constituted, headed by the Additional IG Special Branch, with assistance from the DG Monitoring and the Additional Secretary Judicial (Home).
The committee has been instructed to submit its report within 10 days, alongside departmental responses addressing the discrepancies highlighted in the audit.
