Higher aims: Contending for Punjab IG slot

Inspector General Police Tariq Yasin is in the running to become Punjab’s top cop

LAHORE: According to sources, Inspector General Police Tariq Yasin was in the running to become Punjab’s top cop.

The seat will fall vacant on April 10 when the incumbent Mushtaq Ahmed Sukehra retires.

Other officers in the running are Capital City Police Officer Lahore Captain (retired) Amin Wanis, Additional IGP Operations Capt. (retd) Arif Nawaz, Punjab Special Branch Additional IGP Faisal Shahkar and Punjab Highway Patrolling Additional IG Amjad Saleemi.

Yasin is believed to be a strong candidate for the post and reportedly has the federal government’s backing for the slot.

Sources revealed that Yasin had also met with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif earlier this week. Talking to The Express Tribune, Yasin said that he was happy to serve wherever the government places him.

He added that he does not have any preference in this regard.

Though the transition may not be as smooth after the process of appointing a new IG of the province had been challenged in the Lahore High Court on Thursday. LHC’s Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, noting that the process identified under Police Order 2002 had not been fully implemented had made the appointment of the new Punjab police chief conditional to the court’s decision.

The court had subsequently issued notices and asked amicus curie Khawaja Harris and Asma Jahangir to file their replies before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2017.