Transferring top cop: Interior minister, establishment secretary record statements

ISLAMABAD: Following orders from the top court, the State Minister for Interior Shaheryar Afridi and Establishment Division Secretary Dr Ejaz Munir appeared before an investigative panel on Monday and recorded their statements in the transfer of former top cop of the federal capital.

Afridi and Dr Munir travelled to the old National Accountability Bureau (NAB) headquarters building where they appeared before a joint investigation team (JIT) probing the transfer of former Islamabad Police IGP Jan Muhammad.

The JIT comprises NAB Rawalpindi Director General Irfan Naeem Mangi, Intelligence Bureau Director-General Ahmed Rizwan and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Director Mir Wais Niaz.

Afridi recorded his statement about the role played by Federal Minister for Science and Technology Azam Swati in having the capital’s chief police officer removed from his post.

Dr Munir handed over the entire record of transferring IGP Muhammad on a weekly holiday.

Upon their return from the JIT meeting, neither Afridi nor Dr Munir chose to speak to the media.

Police Service of Pakistan Basic Pay Scale (BPS) grade-20 officer IGP Muhammad had been unceremoniously removed, apparently on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, late last month after he reportedly failed to attend the calls of Swati.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2018.