LAHORE: Inspector General of Punjab Police Amjad Javed Saleemi has apparently succumbed to political pressure as he made five senior policemen officers on special duty (OSDs) for being `involved’ in the Model Town killings case.

A decision to the effect was taken a few days after the IGP met Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad on Friday along with the Punjab home secretary.

During the meeting, he was reportedly “directed strictly” by the premier to remove the police officers from their current assignments.

An official privy to the information told this reporter that the prime minister [reportedly] expressed his displeasure at the delay in making the police officers OSDs while discussing the role of the previous IGP Mohammad Tahir.

He said the IGP assured the PM of implementing the decision.

The matter of the police officers’ posting [first time] came to the fore when it led to the transfer of former IGP Mohammad Tahir who resisted the prime minister’s order declaring it an attempt to challenge the autonomy of police, the official said.

He said Mr Tahir had categorically conveyed to the PM that since the case was sub judice, the removal of police officers would demoralise the force and would be taken as violation of their fundamental rights.

However, the [strict] stance of Mohammad Tahir later led to his removal as the IGP of Punjab.

On the first working day on Monday, the IGP issued orders to make SSP Investigation Gujranwala Tariq Aziz, SP Kasur Abdul Raheem Sherazi, SP Saddar Faisalabad Aftab Phularwan, SP in Farooqabad Police Training School Imran Karamat Bukhari and SSP Maroof Safdar Wahla OSDs.

The official regretted that the government had acted against the police officers just on the basis of a private complaint while the officials from other government departments [nominated in the same application] are working on their assignments, showing discrimination against the police.

He said then Lahore DCO and present Director General of Punjab Food Authority retired Capt Mohammad Usman, the then AC Model Town Tariq Chandio who is serving as DC Dadu, the then Punjab home secretary Azam Suleman [currently federal interior secretary working directly under the prime minister] have not been made OSDs.

“Unfortunately, the purpose of this exercise by the government is to please the Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief rather than to give justice to the victims,” he said.

Still, there are two other police officers linked to the Model Town tragedy who are serving in federal government institutions - the National Highways and Motorway Police and Federal Investigation Agency.

It has been decided to approach the Establishment Division to remove them from their assignments, the official said adding that earlier over 100 policemen had been given punishments of similar nature on the same matter.

PAT

Welcoming removal of five police officials from active duty, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on Monday reminded the government that three bureaucrats – former Inspector General (IG) Police Mushtaq Sukhera, retired Capt Muhammad Usman and Tariq Chandio also need to be removed to meet the party’s demand.

IGP Amjad Saleemi had removed 116 police officials immediately after his posting two weeks ago.According to PAT sources, though they have got assurance that more officials would go but the trouble was in removal of officers working on constitutional posts, like former IGP Mushtaq Sukhera who is now federal tax ombudsman.

Published in Dawn, October 30th , 2018