Ex-CCPO Sheikh plans to launch political party

Announcement comes amid threat of forced retirement after 2nd supersession

LAHORE:

Former CCPO Umar Shoib Sheikh, who got embroiled in dozens of controversies during his short tenure as the Lahore police chief, has announced a plan to launch a political party for social and institutional reforms.

He made the announcement on social media.

“If I am retired forcibly from job, I want to form a political party like Dehli Chief Minister Kejriwal at the Lahore level only," he wrote.

He said the party would focus on bureaucratic and police reforms and prove to be a beacon of hope for dejected youth.

He said members of the 'Young Patriots Party' would wear Mao cap and serve people through social reforms.

"When they did not let me introduce reforms while within the system, I’ll do it from outside the system,” he wrote.

Sheikh has been superseded for the second time as he was not promoted to the rank of additional IG in grade 21. The departmental rules and regulations suggest forced retirement of an officer who is denied promotion twice consecutively.

When superseded the first time last year, he had approached the Supreme Court and also spoken against the decision on the media, terming it a biased move by some members of the promotion board.

Umer Sheikh had come into the spotlight after he was posted as the Lahore CCPO last year. During his posting for a few months, he was found at the centre of many controversies.

Right after taking charge, a dispute erupted between him and then IG Shoib Dastaghir. Dastaghir expressed reservations about working with him before the government after Sheikh reportedly made some obnoxious remarks about him during an official meeting.

The IGP was then replaced by Inam Ghani.

A large number of police officers signed a declaration in support of Dastaghir.

Hardly a few days had passed when he came into spotlight on social and international media after he criticised a gang-rape victim for travelling alone at night on a deserted road. The government as well as he himself had to offer an apology for the comments.

He was also reported to have ordered the arrest of former SP CIA Asim Iftikhar during a meeting.

An audio clip also surfaced of Sheikh hurling abuses at a woman who had approached him against abduction of her husband by police.

A sub-inspector reportedly resigned after Sheikh hurled abuses at him during a meeting.

The Lahore High Court took notice of Sheikh's remarks on a Youtube channel about the release of suspected criminals arrested by police.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2021.