Tajikistan’s interior ministry has dismissed 17 officers for being overweight

Tajikistan’s interior ministry has dismissed 17 officers for being overweight under a directive in place since 2020, personnel department head Khuseyn Khalilzoda said.

The order requires overweight officers to return to a healthy weight within three months. Those seeking reinstatement undergo daily runs and workouts under a special fitness programme.

Since 2020, around 20,000 ministry employees have been assessed, most of them found to be within normal weight limits. Thirty officers who failed to meet the requirement were dismissed, but 13 later reduced their weight and were reinstated.