LAHORE, Sept 23: The Punjab government transferred on Monday Rawalpindi Region DIG Prisons Abdul Rauf Rana and directed him to report to the Home Department for further orders.

According to a notification, Mr Rana was posted in his own pay and scale.

Sources privy to the development told Dawn that Mr Rana was transferred from Multan region and posted in Rawalpindi less than a month ago by the home secretary with a task to clear jails, including Adyala Jail, from contrabands and cell phones. He was suddenly removed by the chief secretary on the ‘orders’ of the chief minister.

Sources said Mr Rana was the second senior officer transferred for adopting aggressive measures against jail staff and prisoners.

Earlier, Kot Lakhpat Jail Superintendent Kamran Anjum was also transferred for launching aggressive searches in the jail a couple of weeks ago.

Sources said Mr Rauf, who conducted two major searches, seized cell phones from some influential prisoners as well as jail officials in Adyala Jail and was holding inquiries against 10 jail officials. He faced resistance from some political quarters who approached the PML-N-led Punjab government for his transfer.

They said a former PML-N MNA from Rawalpindi also had issues with the DIG after the officer refused to transfer a condemned prisoner from punishment cell to an ordinary cell. A cell phone was recovered from the possession of the prisoner. —MUHAMMAD FAISAL ALI