LAHORE: The police chief of Sahiwal region is continuing to work on his post despite being transferred by the Punjab government three days back, Dawn learnt on Monday.

A Punjab government’s notification, a copy available with Dawn, issued on Nov 20, 2015, says: “Ghulam Mahmood Dogar (BS-20), regional police officer Sahiwal region, is hereby transferred with immediate effect and directed to report to the Services and General Administration Department.”

Deputy Inspector General Ghulam Mahmood Dogar, who was posted Sahiwal RPO around six months ago, was transferred on reports of intelligence agencies and special branch that he remained in contact with some influential people associated with the Okara Anjuman Mazareen, a source in the Punjab police told Dawn.

One of the motives behind the transfer of the police officer, he said, was the Okara Anjuman Mazareen’s strong demonstrations and closure of the main road that had embarrassed the chief minister.

He said the provincial chief executive, who was also not receiving positive feedback about the officer from his intelligence network, had written to the Election Commission of Pakistan before the second phase of local government elections to transfer the officer.

The source claimed the chief minister also got upset over the worst defeat the PML-N had recently faced in the second phase of local elections in Chichawatni tehsil where PTI candidates had won majority of seats.

He said Mr Dogar, who reportedly had mustered support of few PML-N MPAs, including a minister from Pakpattan and Arifwala, was not relinquishing the charge.

The source claimed Mr Dogar was holding the post after some parliamentarians ‘assured’ him to manage his posting on the same region.

Mr Dogar categorically denied that his transfer was made in the backdrop of establishing relations with some influential officials associated with the Anjuman Mazareen.

While confirming his transfer, the RPO said he was still holding the post, refusing to cite the reasons for not relinquishing the charge.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2015