GUJRAT: The political influence of a ruling party lawmaker has forced the Gujrat’s Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) chairman to tender resignation as he has been an active part of the Pakistan People’s Party.

The provincial government had directed the district police officer (DPO) to get CPLC Chairman Chaudhry Akhtar Ali removed from his office.

An official source said most of the ruling party lawmakers were unhappy with the district police over cordial relations between Gujrat District Police Officer Rae Zameerul Haq and the CPLC chairman who, according to them, had been gaining political influence in the areas falling under NA-106 (Lalamusa, Dinga).

The main reason behind the chairman removal after eight months is said to be a strong complaint lodged against him and the Gujrat DPO by MNA Chaudhry Jaafar Iqbal with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

The facility of police guards and the ‘honour’ to using blue light with a police registration number plate on his personal vehicle caused annoyance among the ruling party figures because they took such a protocol as a sign of influence in the rural areas.

Mr Akhtar Ali started lobbying and meeting senior police officials in Lahore and regional police headquarters in Gujranwala to secure his post after the CM secretariat had conveyed to the Gujrat district police officer around a week back to immediately remove the chairman.

But all his efforts bore no fruit and he had to resign while another active member of CPLC Amjad Farooq, a local businessman belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, has been appointed as its chairman who took oath at a ceremony in the Police Lines on Wednesday night.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Akhtar Ali publicly announced that he had to resign because the government piled political pressure on him to either join the PML-N or vacate the slot.

He said he had decided to remain loyal to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) stalwart Qamar Zaman Kaira, but he vowed to keep on supporting the CPLC.

The Gujrat DPO had raised Rs30 million donation from a local businessman through the CPLC a few months ago to establish a police welfare hospital in Gujrat, but the project is yet to be executed due to the fulfillment of procedural requirements in this regard.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2016