NOV. 25 (The Bulletin) — Police officers in Turkmenistan have taken up jogging and are rushing to join the gym to lose weight before a Dec. 25 deadline, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.
The US-funded news website said that several policemen in Turkmenistan had said that the new interior minister Mammedkhan Chakyev “doesn’t like fat cops” and that they will lose their job if they do not weigh less than 100kg.
Overweight police, with paunches hanging over their belts, are a relatively common sight in Central Asia. Other countries have also previously ordered police to lose weight.
Police across Central Asia have a reputation for being corrupt and incompetent.
ENDS
— This story was first published in issue 430 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin