Rawalpindi authorities have registered a case against a private laboratory after dengue larvae were discovered on its premises, ARY News reported on Wednesday.
The case was lodged at Bani Police Station on the complaint of the District Health Authority (DHA).
The FIR states that dengue larvae were found in stagnant water on the roof of Chughtai Lab and inside a generator filter. It further alleges that staff members resisted officials from the Health Department and police, and even attempted to offer bribes.
The development comes at a time when dengue continues to spread rapidly in Rawalpindi.
The Health Department reports that 8,819 individuals have been screened, with 477 confirmed cases so far. In the last 24 hours alone, 20 new cases were reported, while 42 patients remain under treatment in hospitals. The death toll linked to dengue has also risen.
Anti-dengue operations are being carried out on a large scale.
Read more: High-risk dengue alert issued from Sep to Dec in Karachi, Lahore
So far, 1,499 surveillance teams have inspected more than five million sites, recovering larvae from over 140,000 locations. More than 159,000 breeding sites have since been destroyed.
Strict enforcement of dengue SOPs is also underway. Authorities have sealed 1,738 buildings, issued 3,333 challans, registered 4,004 FIRs, and imposed fines amounting to nearly Rs 9.9 million.
According to the Health Department, the main dengue hotspots in Rawalpindi currently include Kotha Kalan, Sukho Jalal Din, Chak Jalal Din, Mohanpura, and Dhoke Ali Akbar.