LAHORE: The Punjab government seems to be clipping the wings of Inspector General of Police Amjad Javed Saleemi as, in the latest move, it has allowed Lahore’s Capital City Police Officer B.A. Nasir to continue his present assignment against the wish of the police chief.

The government took the decision against the consent of the IGP who had strongly opposed Mr Nasir’s appointment and preferred BS-20 police officer Zulfiqar Hameed as the CCPO Lahore, an official privy to the information told Dawn.

The government issued a new notification allowing Mr Nasir to continue as the CCPO.

Punjab goes back on its commitment on CCPO’s posting

The official said the development came a few days after the Punjab government surrendered the services of IGP’s principal staff officer DIG Headquarters Babar Bakht Qureshi and his another favourite police officer -- DIG PHP Suhail Akhtar Sukhera -- to the Establishment Division, Islamabad, owing to differences with the police chief over “transfer and posting matters”.

“The recent move of the provincial government is indicative of the fact that Mr Saleemi has lost his grip on the provincial capital police despite being the head of the largest police force (of the country),” he said.

Additional IGP Logistics and Procurement Punjab, B.A. Nasir had been holding the additional assignment of the CCPO Lahore since Oct 28 this year by replacing Zulfiqar Hameed. DIG Information and Technology Mr Hameed was transferred and posted on the position on 28th but his appointment was cancelled the same day after the Punjab government objected to his posting on the grounds that he was attending the National Management Course (NMC) at that time.

After rounds of talks the IGP and the Punjab government reached an understanding that Mr Hameed would assume his charge as the CCPO after the completion of the NMC on Dec 15, allowing Mr Nasir to continue his job during that period.

Consequently, the official said, the department’s notification of Oct 28 appointing Zulfiqar Hameed (PSP/BS-20) as the CCPO was held in abeyance till the completion of the course. But to the surprise of many, the government withdrew the notification on Dec 10, days before Mr Hameed was scheduled to resume the charge.

He said Mr Nasir cultivated his connections to clinch the top slot in Lahore after he came to know that the IGP and the Punjab government were not on the same page in transfer and posting matters.

The Dec 10 notification of the Services & General Administration Department reads, “This department’s notification dated Oct 28, 2018, so far it relates to the transfer/ posting of Mr Zulfiqar Hameed as CCPO Lahore is hereby withdrawn/cancelled”. It further stated that B.A. Nasir had been allowed to continue as the CCPO.

Officials foresee this development as an indication from the Punjab government that the IGP has little room for exercising his authority and the Punjab government expects compliance in the transfer/posting matters.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2018