Prospective positions: Reshuffle expected in top police posts

Three names of PSP officers nominated for DG IB post.

LAHORE:

A major reshuffle is expected in the top posts of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and police, including the slot for director-general (DG) Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Inspector Generals of Police (IG) in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh in the coming days.

The incumbent DG IB Javed Noor is due to retire on October 1, 2011 while IG National Highways and Motorway Police Zafarullah Khan, IG K-P Fiaz Ahmad Khan Toru are due to retire in the first and third week of October respectively.

The names of three officers of Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), including IG Blochistan Rao Amin Hasim, IG Punjab Javed Iqbal, Additional IG Punjab Aftab Sultan have been nominated for the post of director-general Intelligence Bureau (IB), the top position of the federal government civilian spy agency.

The federal government however wanted to retain the services of Javed Noor as DG IB and had also agreed to extend his tenure owing to his competency and unblemished reputation during his service. However, he refused the offer, sources familiar with the matter revealed.

The panel for the appointment of the new DG IB has been submitted to the office of the prime minister for final recommendation. However, sources familiar with the matter told The Express Tribune that IG Sindh Wajid Durrani has been shortlisted at the eleventh hour as a candidate to fill the DG IB post. Earlier, Rao Amin Hashim was considered the front-runner for the post.

It was also learnt that if IG Punjab Javed Iqbal is appointed as DG IB then the candidates for his replacement would be Aftab Sultan, Additional IG Special Branch Nasir Khan Durrani and Additional IG Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera.

Furthermore, if Wajid Durrani is appointed as DG IB then the former IG Sindh Fayyaz Leghari is likely to be posted as IG Sindh, The Express Tribune learnt.

The Managing Director of National Police Foundation (NPF) as well as Additional Director General of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Zafar Qureshi (chief Investigator of the multi-billion National Insurance Company Limited scam) are also due to retire on September 30, 2011 but the government has not yet made any decision on their replacements yet.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of K-P has suggested three officers for appointment of IG K-P to the prime minister.

The officers included were Additional IG Elite Force K-P Abdul Majeed Marwat, IG Balochistan Rao Amin Hashim, Commandant Mohammad Akbar Khan Hoti.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2011.