Internal rows overshadow police role against Covid

CCPO Umar Sheikh remains at centre of series of controversies during 2020

LAHORE:

The attention and energies of Punjab Police were focused on helping curbing the Covid-19 pandemic during most of the past year. However, the department witnessed rows of an unprecedented nature among its most senior officers after DIG Umar Sheikh took charge as Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO).

Since the appointment of the CCPO, an IGP, a DIG, an SSP and an SP have been transferred after conflicts with him. Besides, about 50 officers of the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP) signed a declaration in support of then IGP Shoaib Dastagir.

The services of two former CCPOs, BA Nasir and Zulfiqar Hameed, along with a large number of other officers who had played a role in campaigning against their successor during the Dastagir-Sheikh controversy have been surrendered to the federal establishment division.

Right after taking charge, Sheikh in his first official meeting with the senior officers reportedly made some unprofessional remarks against the provincial police chief. Besides using crude language against the police hierarchy and senior officers, he told those attending the meeting that he had all the authority and they were supposed to report to him and not even the IGP.

IGP Dastagir took notice of the incident and complained to Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar against the behaviour of the CCPO. However, his reservations were not addressed and he was replaced by Inam Ghani as IGP.

This row and transfer of the IGP as its result sent ripples in the circles of senior police officers. They held an emergency meeting of the province’s PSP officers in the Central Police Office (CPO). In the meeting, a declaration expressing solidarity Dastagir was signed by at least 50 officers.

The next day, Ghani took charge as IGP at ceremony was held at the CPO, which was attended by a large number of senior officers, including those who had attended the meeting expressing solidarity with Dastagir.

On the other hand, CCPO Sheikh remained adamant on his stance that Lahore police were autonomous. He also participated in a TV show to defend his views.

However, Ghani declared in his first media briefing after taking charge that the CCPO was answerable to him like any regional or district police officer.

To assert his stance, two days after assuming charge, he summoned a meeting of all the officers of Lahore police of the DSP and higher ranks, including the CCPO.

After the government vocally supported Sheikh in the initial row, Sheikh continued making headlines over altercations with other officers.

The first row was yet to fade away from memory when an Inspector, Ahmad Raza Jaffery, complained through social media that CCPO Sheikh had hurled abuses at him over an alleged custodial death. He also filed complaint at Race Course police station and before the IGP. Days later, a head constable submitted a similar complaint to the IGP.

CCPO Shiekh again came into spotlight when a sub-inspector, Fahad Virk, resigned due to abuses hurled at him in an official meeting.

Reportedly, SSP Administration Liaqat Malik was also transferred after the CCPO reportedly wrote a letter to the IGP against him. He is currently serving as DPO in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Sheikh again made headlines when he ordered arrest of SP CIA Asim Iftikhar after a heated exchange of words during a meeting. Reportedly, Sheikh had called a meeting at Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) office late at night. Iftikhar reportedly initially refused to attend the meeting because of health problems but on Sheikh’s insistence arrived late. Sheikh reportedly misbehaved with him. A physical fight between the two was averted by senior officers present on the occasion. Iftikhar was later transferred.

The day Ifikhar was transferred, DIG Investigations Shahzada Sultan issued a commendatory certificate for his services in arrest of the motorway gang rape prime suspect, Abid Malhi.

Few days back, Sultan was also transferred recently.

A dispute between SSP Investigations Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani and SP Investigations Cantonment Anoush Masood Chaudhry was also reported.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 30^th, 2020.