PESHAWAR, Dec 13: The Establishment Division, Islamabad, has asked the NWFP government to immediately release three senior police officers who have been transferred to Balochistan, sources said here on Monday.

Talking to Dawn, they said the federal government last month transferred six deputy inspectors-general and three superintendents of police in the NWFP, Punjab and Sindh. But the provincial governments were reluctant to release these officials on the ground that they were facing a shortage of senior staff, the sources added.

Taking a strong notice of the provincial governments' unwillingness, the Establishment Division sent separate letters to them a few days ago, asking them to release the officials for their onward posting in Balochistan, the sources maintained.

From the NWFP Police, the Establishment Division had transferred Khalid Masood (DIG Special Branch), Ghulam Mohammad (DIG Bannu) and Tanvirul Haq Sipra (DIG Crimes) to Balochistan. Not only the NWFP government, these officials also had shown reluctance to leave their present posts, the sources said.

DIG Sipra, who suffered a heart attack a few months ago and remained under intensive care for a month, had recently approached the Establishment Division to get his transfer orders cancelled on medical grounds, the sources said.