Stolen or misplaced? Gun goes missing from police chief’s car

ISLAMABAD: In an embarrassing development for the capital police, an official handgun along with a bullet magazine has gone missing from the car of the police chief.

An inquiry is underway at the police headquarters against four police officers who were deployed with the inspector general when the incident took place on August 24.

Sources told The Express Tribune the handgun, an expensive American Glock pistol, which had been issued to one of the gunmen who travelled with IGP Jan Muhammad had mysteriously disappeared from the car.

The gun had been missing since August 24 but the matter was reported to the office only on August 31.

The IGP, upon learning that the official gun was missing, ordered to remove all four officials deputed with his car and launched an inquiry against them.

An operator cum gunman told the police headquarters in a report that his pistol had been misplaced while he was on duty at the IGP’s official residence in Sector F-7 on August 24.

Police also issued a statement on Tuesday stating that an inquiry into the matter was underway and its findings would be made public when complete.

Sources say the IGP was on leave when the incident happened.

Officials said that two drivers and two operators are normally deputed with the IGP who perform duties on alternate days. A police spokesperson clarified it was not a case of theft, rather the gun had simply been ‘misplaced’. No other documents were missing, he maintained, adding that an inquiry as per the procedures was being conducted.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2018.