Reshuffle in Punjab police on cards as complaints of misconduct continue

Three incidents of high-handedness reported over last week

LAHORE: The government has long claimed that there will be a massive improvement in police culture, but if reports of misconduct are anything to go by, this target may prove to be a pipedream.

Over the last week, there have been as many as three incidents of alleged police misconduct, raising more concerns over the administration’s ability to curb the highhandedness of law enforcement officials.

In one incident, a police constable and his two friends started firing in the air during a wedding ceremony in Mughalpura when the participants tried to restrain the three from eve-teasing.

Also, a constable was arrested for contracting fraudulent marriages by Missri Shah police. The complainant alleged that the suspect would do so to mint money in the name of dowry.

In a separate incident, AT/ ASI Asghar Ali and constable Farman were suspended for allegedly torturing a citizen identified as Raja Gujjar on Raiwind Road.

More transfers

In the wake of Arif Nawaz taking charge as Punjab inspector general and replacing Amjad Javed Saleemi, a major police reshuffle is on the cards.

On Saturday, three police officers were transferred. AIG Operations Punjab Central Police Office (CPO) Rana Shoib Mehmood was transferred and posted as DPO Khushab. DPO Khushab Abadat Nisar was transferred and posted as DPO Pakpattan, while DPO Pakpattan Maria Mehmood was ordered to report to the Central Police Office (CPO).

Two days after Nawaz was appointed as IGP, he held a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and the two reportedly held consultation for two hours.

Different aspects of policing, including transfers and posting of officers, including those working on key posts, were discussed. The frequent transfers and postings of police officers have raised the eyebrows of observers on the policies of the Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaaf (PTI) government.

The frequent shuffling goes against the Police Order 2002 which makes it mandatory for an officer to serve at least three years at a given post. However, this has been the fourth change of IGP in the eight months since PTI took the reins of power in Punjab.

Syed Kaleem Imam was appointed IGP during elections by the interim government. He, along with IGPs of three other provinces, were transferred when the government came into power. In Punjab, Imam was replaced by Muhammad Tahir who also hardly served for a few months as differences developed between him and the government over the transfer of some officials involved in the Model Town massacre.

Reportedly, Nasir Durrani, who was assigned police reforms by the PTI government, resigned as a mark of protest against the task. Six months have passed since the resignation of Durrani and no serious effort has been made to initiate reforms by the PTI government, informed observers say.

As far as outgoing IGP Saleemi is concerned, his postings in Punjab have coincided with major incidents. When he was serving as DPO Sialkot, a judge who was on a visit to a jail for inspection was murdered by inmates. While he was CCPO Lahore, the horrifying Joseph Colony incident occurred in which hundreds of Christian homes were burnt. During his tenure as IGP Punjab, the tragic Sahiwal incident took place in which four people were killed by po
lice firings. The force changed at least four official versions in a short span of time in this case.

The PTI government saw the incident as a case of gross mismanagement and removed the additional IG Operations and additional IG CTD.



However, Saleemi managed to hold onto his post at the time. His recent transfer has been linked to the lack of police cooperation in NAB’s botched attempt to arrest Hamza Shahbaz.

Roundup of incidents As far as the major incidents during the last week were concerned, at least six people were killed on Saturday and four trapped when a threestorey building collapsed at Bhatti Gate.

The incident occurred at around 2.30 pm and rescue operations were finally completed by midnight. A cat trapped under the debris was also recovered after six to seven hours of efforts. Such incidents occurred recurrently in the locality as the majority of the buildings were in a dilapidated state. Three youngsters were also injured in incidents related to kite flying in Lahore.

Despite the Punjab government repeatedly announcing a zero-tolerance policy over kite flying, the incidents occur with alarming regularity.

An incident of aerial firing by a group of motorcyclists in broad daylight in Mustafa Town was also reported. Two suspects in the incident have been arrested by police. In another incident of aerial firing in the city, a 12-yearold boy was killed by a straybullet in Garhi Shahu.

In a highly unfortunate incident, Badami Bagh police arrested a man for begging after taking out a deceased child’s body from grave. In Lytton Road, a man was arrested for murdering his 40-year-old sister and her five -year-old daughter over a monetary  dispute. His sister had refused to lend him money for drugs. The deceased persons’ body was recovered after eight days after a pungent smell permeated the area and nearby residents reported it to police. The suspect had abandoned the victim’s one-and-a-halfyear-old son in a mosque’s washroom. Police had seized CCTV footage of the incident. Instead of searching for the child’s parents, they admitted him in Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB).

A youth had died while two were injured after a police van hit them in Lorry Ada. The van had hit the motorcyclists from the driver’s side They hit the dividers and the deceased youth’s skull was crushed.