Security risk looms large in Lahore amid police transfers

Ahead of the Urs of Data Sahib and the Chehlum procession, important police posts lie empty

LAHORE:

Owing to a shortage of police personnel, the security arrangements in the provincial capital have come under threat. According to sources, about thirteen high-profile seats are lying vacant, including the positions for the senior superintendent of police (SSP) operations and SSP investigation.

The three-day Urs of Hazrat Ali Hajvery is currently underway in Lahore, while the main procession of Imam Hussain (RA)’s Chehlum will be taken out on Thursday. Thousands of rallies and hundreds of processions are to be held across the province on the occasion. For the purpose, all the district police officers, the deputy inspector general of police (DIG) operations, and SSP operations had been given special responsibilities.

Compared to the past, however, the decisions of the Punjab government have not only troubled the police but have also endangered the security situation of the city. Two days before the Chehlum procession, eight district police officer (DPOs) of the province was shifted and security arrangements were jeopardised.

In the city of Lahore, where terrorists have attacked religious processions in the past, there is no superintendent of police (SP) security on duty this time. Under such a situation, SSP Operations Faisal Shehzad was also shifted from Lahore. Moreover, after the transfer of the SSP Investigations Zeeshan Asghar, the newly appointed officer Abdul Ghaffar Qaisarani has not taken charge yet.

Another important seat was vacated by the transfer of SP Operations in Cantt Division. Earlier, eight sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) had been absent due to transfers and penalties.

A Punjab police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that Lahore had never been so neglected before.

“It will be difficult for DIG Operations Ashfaq Khan to handle such large religious events in the city alone. On the other hand, the aggressive attitude of the Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Lahore Omar Sheikh has lowered the morale of police personnel and officers,” he said.

The new Lahore CCPO Omar Sheikh has been in the news since his appointment. During his very first meeting with the department, he spoke rebelliously against the former Punjab IG Shoaib Dastgir. The Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) officers in the meeting condemned the behaviour of Umar Sheikh and called a meeting at the Central Police Office to show support for Shoaib Dastagir.

“Within a few hours, however, the tide turned when the government replaced IG Punjab with a junior officer and appointed Additional IG South Punjab as IG Punjab,” the official said.

While CCPO Lahore Omar Sheikh has become the most powerful police officer in the province after the removal of IG Punjab, the fate of the police officers who supported the former IG Punjab has become uncertain.

Meanwhile, the failure of arresting the main accused in the Lahore-Sialkot motorway tragedy case, the transfer of some officers was delayed.

Subordinate police officers were left in a state of dilemma when they saw their respective officers fleeing the city. “So far, about 14 cases have been registered on the orders of CCPO Lahore and police officers and personnel have been handed over to him. Even if the grievances of the policeman are right, who can they complain to?” he questioned.

Talking about the steady rise in crime rate despite taking notices, a former police officer said that there was no permanent policy due to short transfers of police officers across the province.

“When an officer takes command of a police force, district, city, division or area, it takes some time for him to understand the crime and the area. But in Punjab province, which is considered the cradle of law and order, criminal elements are consolidating their roots with the rising crime rate due to poor strategy,” the former officer said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2020.