Lahore CCPO sent packing

In a shocking development on the first day of the New Year, the Punjab government removed DIG Umar Sheikh from the post of capital city police officer (CCPO) on Friday months after he was appointed on the position following much controversy.

He has now been posted as deputy commandment Punjab constabulary. DIG Ghulam Mohammad Dogar has been appointed as the new CCPO Lahore. His transfer as Lahore Police Chief came few days after Chief Justice of Lahore High Court took notice of his criticism of judiciary in dealing with criminals in their release in an interview. In an interview with a senior journalist on his YouTube channel, he not only made huge claims of fundamental change in Lahore Police under his command but also questioned of the release of a member of the gang who had been arrested over a dozen times and challenged for his offences by police.

The chief justice while hearing a petition had commented that the suspects were released from the court due to the incompetence of the police and they would shift the blame on the court. The courts would grant bail to the accused persons according to law. He had made bad headlines a few days back for other bad reasons too including the deployment of band constables into the security of chief minister and surge in crime in the provincial capital. He had also openly opposed the Central Selection Board constitution for his promotion and hurled reservations on two members. One of the members was former IGP Shoaib Dastaghir. He had made few insulting remarks against him in an official meeting with senior police officers after taking charge as CCPO.

Dastaghir as a mark of protest had refused to continue work as IGP. Punjab Chief Minister took cognizance of the matter and held interviews of three officers; Waseem Sial, Tariq Abbass Qureshi and Ghulam Mehmood Dogar and chose Dogar for the appointment on the slot. Sheikh’s appointment as Lahore’s chief police officer came in September. Since then, he has been the focus of many controversies all along these months. Soon after his selection was authorised, then Inspector General Punjab (IGP) Shoaib Dastgir was removed from his post by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led provincial government after he refused to work with Umar Sheikh. At least 50 officers of PSP association Punjab chapter had signed a declaration against CCPO Sheikh after Sheikh-Dastaghir controversy.

He had invited wrath globally for victim-blaming of motorway gangrape victim. He, in an interview, had said that the victim should have left earlier at night and taken a busy route. Even if it was necessary for him to travel alone, he should have checked his vehicle. He had also said that Lahore was not safe for women and the woman had France in her orientation while travelling through a deserted road. He had more to his credit. Since the appointment of the CCPO, an IGP, SSP, SP and a DIG have been transferred after conflicts with him. 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.

CCPO Sheikh had also made headlines for his conflict with former SP CIA Asim Iftikhar. Inspector Raza Jaffery and a head constable had taken to social media and submitted complaints against him before IGP for hurling abuses. Sub-inspector Fahad Virk had resigned after Sheikh hurled abuses at him in an official meeting. Sheikh had also been put under the spotlight for hurling abuses at a woman who had approached him for illegal abduction of his husband by Raiwind Police. A few audio messages intimidating his reported business partners also came on the surface during his posting