LAHORE: The federal government has recommended a panel of three senior police officers, including incumbent chief of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police Mohammad Tahir, to the prime minister for the appointment of next IG Punjab.

The two other senior officials are: National Police Academy Islamabad Commandant Khalid Dad Lak and former additional IG (special branch, Punjab) Faisal Shahkar.

The above-mentioned three top cops were shortlisted from amongst the list of 25 officials serving in all four provinces besides federal capital, a senior official in the federal government told Dawn.

He said the [subject of] top slot of the Punjab police has been the part of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s many public speeches before and after assuming office of the prime minister.

An interesting aspect of this important development was that the entire exercise of preparing list of candidates and formation of panel was finalised by the federal government.

Centre conducted entire exercise instead of provincial govt

According to the normal practice, the official said, the panel of three police officers for the in-question slot used to be formed and recommended by the Punjab government to the prime minister secretariat through proper channel.

About the candidates recommended in the panel, he said, they were shortlisted on certain reasons.

Khalid Dad Lak was shortlisted for being most senior official serving in grade 22.

Faisal Shahkar was given preference by dint of his international experience in modern policing as he had served abroad for a 10-year period in the UN and on other important assignments.

It was further reported by some premier agencies that Mr Shahkar had not been in the good books of the then PML-N government owing to his “neutral stance” as he had been a strong critic of its policies in several reports submitted by the special branch during the Shahbaz-led government, he said.

About Mohammad Tahir, the official said, as he was currently serving as IGP KP, a strong lobby paved the way for him to be part of the panel formed for Punjab’s top slot of police.

The official further said the chances of Mohammad Tahir seemed to be bright to clinch the top post for having his close association with the PTI leadership in KP.

And most importantly, the Punjab government has also recommended him for the post, he said.

However, the official said, Mr Tahir might face trouble in getting clearance for the IG slot as he has around two-year service prior to his retirement. He is also grade 21 police officer.

Citing the case of former IGP retired Capt Usman Khattak, the official said, he was appointed regular IG Punjab in the middle of July 2017.

As he was not having three-year service [before retirement], the then chief justice of Lahore High Court had taken suo motu notice on the same ground, directing the Punjab government to follow the Police Order 2002 in letter and spirit.

Resultantly, the LHC on July 18 suspended the notification issued for the appointment of Mr Khattak as the permanent IG.

Later, the new panel was formed and Mr Khattak was replaced by grade 22 official Arif Nawaz on the court orders.

On the other hand, the rest of the two police officers included in the panel have three-year service.

Out of the total 25 police officers in the list, eight were grade 22 and others scale 21 officers, he said.

Some prominent from amongst grade 22 officials who couldn’t be considered in the panel included former IGP Punjab and currently federal secretary ministry of narcotics retired Capt Arif Nawaz, Director General National Police Bureau Shaukat Hayyat, DG FIA Bashir Memon, DG National Counter Terrorism Authority Dr Salman Ahmed etc.

To a question, he said: “Normally the candidates in the panel are interviewed first by the chief minister and then by the PM.”

So far, none of them got interview calls by the Prime Minister Secretariat and there are also chances that the premier might give approval without interviewing the candidates.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2018