Officers have until the end of June to tone their waistlines down to 38 inches or relinquish their jobs in the field and be demoted to desk jobs on less pay.
Punjabs police chief Habibur Rehman has ordered his officers to lose weight, saying "I'm on a diet and if I can do it, why can't you?"
RT reported.
Police spokesperson Nabila Ghazanfar said half the police force were overweight which hindered their ability to “chase bandits, robbers and other criminals properly.” However, according to
Naharnet, Pakistan local media puts the figure of overweight cops at 77 percent and claimed "policemen appear to be losing the battle of the bulge."
Ghazanfar said "Police officials are joining gyms, jogging and doing other exercise, including a lot of running to become thin and slim" and Rehman is determined to "turn the force into a fit one". Police officers are also going on crash diets to meet the new target.