Centre, Punjab at odds over transfer of Lahore CCPO

Federal govt unhappy with Dogar for registering terror case against PML-N’s Latif, Marriyum

LAHORE:

The federal and Punjab governments have openly confronted each other over the transfer of Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.

The Cabinet Secretariat’s Establishment Division on Tuesday issued orders of his transfer from the post.

However, the Punjab government asked him to continue working as the CCPO until further orders.

The PML-N-led coalition federal government was annoyed with Dogar for the registration of a recent case under terrorism charges against party leaders Javed Latif and Marriyum Aurangzeb.

The case was registered at Green Town police station on Monday.

The federal government was also frustrated over multiple raids at the houses of PML-N leaders in connection with the chaos at the Punjab Assembly during the election for the chief minister’s slot.

According to a report on Tuesday, the Lahore police had issued a clean chit to the PTI leaders in the Punjab Assembly fiasco case.

A notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat Establishment Division ordered the transfer of Dogar. He was directed to report to the Establishment Division.

Hardly minutes had passed when Punjab Home Minister Hashim Dogar wrote a tweet, turning down the orders.

He said Dogar would continue as the Lahore CCPO until further orders by the Punjab government. In addition, he wrote that Dogar would not report to the Establishment Division.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi also forbade Dogar from leaving the charge as the Lahore CCPO.

In a statement, he said the federal government had turned “blind” because of “vindictive politics”.

He added that the federal government could not remove the Lahore CCPO as it was not authorised to do so.

"We denounce complying by any illegal orders of the federal government,” Elahi added.

Reportedly, Punjab IGP Faisal Shahkar and the Lahore CCPO have also developed differences with each other over the dealing and registration of cases of political nature.

Shahkar has reportedly resisted following the orders of the registration of the recent cases against PML-N leaders.

He also had denounced the Punjab government’s instructions to register cases against policemen and officers over the May 25 torture incidents and use of force to stop the PTI long march. However, the case against Latif and

Marriyum was registered on the orders of CCPO Dogar.

Shahkar has also developed differences with the Punjab government over the posting of many senior police officers.

A committee was formed at the CM's Office to mediate between the IGP and the provincial government.

PTI leader Sibtain Khan was given the duty to mediate between the two offices. However, when no substantial progress was made to reach a consensus, Sibtain was replaced by Hasaan Khawar.

PTI chairman and ousted premier Imran Khan had earlier announced that he would transfer Shahkar from his post.

There are reports that the recent episodes of use of cops for political purposes might create a deadlock over the appointment or transfer of the Punjab IGP as had happened in the past in the case of AD Khawaja as the Sindh police chief.

The Sindh government had multiple times forwarded the summary to remove him from the post.

However, it was turned down by the federal government many times as the appointment of the IGP is the prerogative of the Centre.

The provincial government can only send names of a panel of at least three senior police officers for the post.