LAHORE - As many as 52 traffic wardens have been suspended for not attending a post-midnight debriefing meeting of the City Traffic Officer (CTO), Lahore, Hussain Habib Imtiaz. The withdrawal of such a large number of traffic wardens has caused problems for the remaining force to manage the traffic. A source in the traffic police department said the debriefing meeting was called late night at 2:00pm on 10th of Muharram (January 8, 2008) with strict direction for the traffic wardens to ensure their presence in the meeting. City police including the traffic wardens discharged their duties during Muharram amid conditions of high alert. Like the officials of other law enforcement agencies, the wardens too remained in the field round the clock and without any rest. The role that the wardens played in making the Muharram peaceful, was also praised by the Punjab government. Late night of Muharram 10, most of the wardens had gone back to their homes for rest after discharging their duties for 10 days. It is also learnt that many of them had fallen ill and they informed the sectors incharge about their ailment. In the meantime, the CTO Lahore called the wardens for debriefing meeting, which was, interestingly, organised after midnight at 2:00pm. Resultantly, at least 52 traffic wardens could not attend the meeting of CTO. The CTO, while expressing his strong anger, suspended all of them on the charges of their absences from his 'important meeting' and sent them to the police lines till further orders. The traffic police department, however, kept the suspension order under warps and publicized that the officers have been dispatched for training. They were suspended at a time when the Chief Minister Punjab had announced reward of one month's extra salary for the policemen who discharged their duties excellently during Muharram as no untoward incident was occurred due to extraordinary performance of the police jawans. According to the sources, the suspended traffic wardens were made to work very hard under this so-called training as a punitive measure. They are also made to do hours long parade and assignments on special duties. "It is highly demoralising for the traffic wardens to go through these hardships just for nothing," a warden commented. When contacted, CTO Lahore Hussain Habib said that 52 traffic wardens had been suspended for not attending his debriefing meeting that was held to review the arrangements for Muharram. He said that several traffic wardens were found missing from the points where they were deputed by the department on the eve of Muharram.