LAHORE: Punjab’s acting inspector-general of police retired Capt Usman Khattak was appointed Provincial Police Officer (PPO), a day before the expiry of third deadline given by the Lahore High Court to the government to fill the office with a regular incumbent.

The federal government had appointed Additional Inspector General Training Usman Khattak as acting IG on April 12 after the retirement of Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera.

A notification issued by the cabinet division says that Mr Khattak is appointed permanent IGP with immediate effect. He will reach superannuation on Nov 1, 2017.

LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah is set to take up the petition today (Tuesday) seeking appointment of a permanent IGP and implementation of the Police Order 2002.

Due to retire on Nov 1

On the previous hearing, the chief justice had given the government third and the last deadline to do the needful.

Lawyer Saad Rasool had filed the public interest petition questioning non-composition of the public safety commission for the appointment of police officers, including IGP, in compliance with the Police Order.

Sources say a number of senior policemen have been under consideration for the slot but the government delayed the decision probably due to preoccupation in the Panama case.

Among the probables were former Islamabad IG Tariq Masood Yaseen (17th Common), Additional IG and Lahore CCPO Amin Wains (16th Common), Additional IG Amjad Javed Saleemi (14th Common), Additional IG Arif Nawaz (14th Common) and Special Branch Additional IG Faisal Shahkar.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2017