Another major reshuffle jolts police command

The Punjab government has once again massively reshuffled the command of Punjab Police.

At least 28 senior police officers including Capital City Police Officer Lahore (CCPO) Zulfiqar Hameed, seven other DIGs and many DPOs have been transferred and posted.

Five IGPs have been changed since the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) formed government in Punjab. Four IGPs who served before the incumbent Shoaib Dastgir included Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan, Amjad Javed Saleemi, Muhammad Tahir and Dr Syed Kaleem Imam.

Every IGP brought his own team on key positions. A few days after the replacement of Inspector General Punjab Police by Dastgir at least eight District Police Officers (DPOs) and 18 Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGs) were transferred and posted. Services of at least six police officers have been surrendered before the Establishment Division, Islamabad.

Transfer and posting on keys posts including CCPO Lahore, DIG Operations Lahore, RPO Sheikhupura, Bahawalpur, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad were also made. Dastagir did not stop to it. On July 2, three DPOs and nine other senior police officers were reshuffled. A few days back, two DIGs were transferred and posted. In June DIG Operations and SSP Operations were transferred and posted. In April this year, at least six additional inspector generals (add IGs), two Regional Police Officers (RPOs), 13 deputy inspector generals (DIGs) and two senior superintendents of police (SSPs) were transferred and posted.

After Arif Nawaz has taken charge as the provincial commander, the police department went through a massive reshuffle. Dozens of transfers on keys posts including DPOs and RPOs were made in one go. Those transferred and posted on Tuesday included CCPO Lahore Zulfiqar Hameed who has been transferred and posted as Additional Inspector General of Police, Operations, CPO Punjab, DIG Muhammad Umar Sheikh (PSP/BS.20) from Special Protection Unit (SPU) has been posted as Capital City Police Officer, Lahore.

DIG Bilal Siddique Kamyana has been transferred and posted as DIG Specialized Protection Unit, Punjab, Lahore, vice Muhammad Umar Sheikh (PSP/BS-20) transferred.

Regional Police Officer, Rawalpindi Region Sohail Habib Tajik was transferred and directed to report to Services and General Administration Department. Dera Ghazi Khan Regional Police Officer Imran Ahmar was transferred and posted as Rawalpindi Region RPO.

CPO Punjab Deputy Inspector General of Police, Police, Logistic and Procurement Muhammad Faisal Rana, was transferred and posted as Regional Police Officer DG Khan. Highways Patrolling Posts Deputy Inspector General of Police Tariq Abbas Qureshi was transferred and posted as RPO Sahiwal.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2020.