Another major reshuffle jolts Punjab police dept

In his fifth month as IGP, Dastagir introduced changes involving AIGs, DIGs, RPOs and SSPs

LAHORE: Punjab Police has gone through another major reshuffle, reportedly on the whims of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government.

At least six additional inspector generals (AIG), two Regional Police Officers (RPO), 13 deputy inspector generals (DIG) and two senior superintendents of police (SSP) were transferred and posted.

The details obtained by The Express Tribune revealed that Sardar Ali Khan (PSP/BS-21) Additional Inspector General of Police Welfare & Finance CPO, Punjab, Lahore was surrendered before Services & General Administration Department, and Tariq Masood Yasin (PSP/BS-21) additional Inspector General of Police Training transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police, Welfare & Finance.

Shahid Hanif (PSP/BS-21) Additional Inspector General of Police, Elite Police Force was transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police Training.

Ghulam Rasool Zahid (PSP/BS-21) Additional Inspector General of Police, Logistics & Procurement was transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police Research & Development CPO Punjab.

Ali Aamir Malik (PSP/BS-21) awaiting posting in Services & General Administration Department was transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police Logistics & Procurement.

Muhammad Farooq Mazhar (PSP/BS-21), Regional Police Officer Sheikhupura, was transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police, Elite Police Force.

Fayyaz Ahmed Dev (PSP/BS-20) Regional Police Officer, Bahawalpur was promoted to BS-21 and transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police. Investigation Branch, Punjab.

Captain (retd) Ehsan Tufail (PSP/BS-20), Commandant Police Training College was promoted to BS-21 and upon such promotion was allowed to continue as Commandant Police Training College, Lahore.

Sahibzada Muhammad Shahzad Sultan (PSP/BS-20), was promoted to BS-21 and transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police Traffic Punjab.

Since the PTI formed government in the province, at least five Inspector General of Police, or IGPs, had been transferred in a period of less than one and a half year.

Four IGPs that served before the incumbent Shoaib Dastagir included Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan, Amjad Javed Saleemi, Muhammad Tahir and D Syed Kaleem Imam.

Every IGP has resorted to massive reshuffles after taking charge. A few days after the replacement of the former IGP by Shoaib Dastagir, at least eight District Police Officers (DPO) and 18 Deputy Inspector General of Police, or DIGs, were transferred and posted. Services of at least six police officers had been surrendered before the Establishment Division, Islamabad.

Transfer and posting at keys posts were also made including Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Lahore DIG Operations as well as RPOs in Sheikhupura, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad.

After Arif Nawaz Khan had taken charge as provincial commander, the police department had went through a massive reshuffle. Dozens of transfers on keys posts, including DPOs and RPOs, were made in one go. A similar reshuffle went through during the tenure of other IGPs during the period.

It had been the fifth month since Dastagir took charge as IGP and he made fundamental changes through his own massive reshuffle that involved officers of AIG, DIG, RPO and SSP rank.

Such recurrent transfers by the PTI-led government had incited severe criticism among police circles as they deem it in violation of Police Order (2002). The rapid changes also create and environment of uncertainty which could prove detrimental to overall police performance.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2020.