ISLAMABAD: An official has been appointed to the office of deputy inspector general of police (DIG) operations Islamabad after a period of five years, officials said on Thursday.

At last the capital police got an officer for the office of Deputy Inspector General of Police Operation after a gap of over five years, Dawn has learnt from the officials here on Thursday.

DIG operations is a key office in the capital’s police force but has been vacant since Jun 20, 2011, when then DIG operations Bani Amin was given the charge of inspector general of police (IGP) Islamabad. DIG Tahir Alam Khan was appointed to the office in September 2014, but was also given the additional charge of IGP, where he remained until his retirement in January this year.

Now, Kashif Alam has been appointed DIG operations, officials said.

Mr Alam was transferred to the capital police from the National Police Academy. They said according to a notification Mr Alam, a “BPS-19 officer of the Police Service of Pakistan presently serving in National Police Academy is transferred and his services are placed on the disposal of Islamabad police, under interior division, with immediate effect and until further orders.”

Mr Alam is from the 24 Common Training Programme (CTP) a grade 19 officer – the rank of a senior superintendent of police (SSP). Officials added that some officers of his CTP batch have already been promoted to the rank of DIG, which is a grade 20 rank.

The office of DIG security has also been vacant from 2014, they said, and added that Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Special Branch Waqar Chohan was given additional charge of the post, but was also performing duties with the interior minister.

Mr Chohan, a grade 19 officer, is currently performing three duties, they said, and holds two key offices in the capital’s police force. He is serving as the AIG special branch, DIG security and director to the interior minister.

Similarly, three other offices of the capital police – SSP headquarters, superintendent of police (SP) headquarters and additional superintendent of police security – are only partially filled as those appointed to these officers are performing duties with the interior minister.

SP Mohammad bin Asrhaf and SP Sumera Azam were appointed SSP and SP headquarters, respectively, on April 14, officials said. They added that the two officials were still working with the minister while holding these offices.

SP Bilal Zafar Sheikh was appointed additional SP security, and was then chosen to work with the minister’s staff, they said.

Earlier, he held the post of SP Saddar, but after being selected for the minister’s staff, he was transferred from there and appointed additional SP security, they said.

The offices of SP Saddar and SP Industrial Area are also vacant, and SP Zeeshan, who was to replace Mr Sheikh as SP Saddar, has not yet arrived. They said under these circumstances, Assistant Superintendent of Police Saddar Omar Khan was given the additional charge of SP Saddar.

The office of SP Industrial Area has been vacant since SP Amir Khan Niazi was appointed SP Safe City Project, they said, and he has now left to pursue a scholarship abroad. SP Rural Dr Mustafa Tanveer has been given additional charge as SP Industrial Area.

Officials said the office of AIG operations is also vacant, and AIG General Nisar Ahmed Tanoli has been given additional charge of the post.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2016