LAHORE: From amongst the new appointments, posting of the Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) has hit a controversy, primarily because of violation of the Police Order 2002 and the official rotation policy.

The new CCPO, Zulfiqar Hameed, is a BPS-20 officer of DIG rank, who was posted against the position reserved for additional inspector general of (AIG) of police as defined in the Police Order 2002. He was the prime choice of newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shoaib Dastagir.

After the provincial police officer, the CCPO slot is the second senior position, which has always required extraordinary care in selection of the police officer under the rules, regulations and seniority basis to avoid embarrassment.

An official, privy to the entire process, says the appointment of Mr Zulfiqar, who has got a second chance to head the provincial capital police, has kicked off a new legal debate in police circles when several seniors have been ignored.

Sources allege breach of Police Order 2002 and rotation policy

Earlier, he adds, Mr Zulfiqar was posted as CCPO Lahore in October 2018 on the position which has been filled by BPS-21 officers (AIGs) in the past. Zufiqar’s first tenure was also not free of controversy when the incumbent Punjab government had posted him against the same top field position at a time when he was attending the National Management Course (NMC). He had replaced BPS-21 police officer AIG BA Nasir.

The government realised its mistake of committing violation of the police rules and the policy of the Establishment Division Islamabad which has defined that the officer nominated for the mandatory course must be relieved from official duty. Consequently, the department’s notification of Oct 28, 2018, appointing Zulfiqar Hameed (PSP/BPS-20) as the CCPO was held in abeyance till the completion of his course.

Later, on Dec 10, some days before Mr Zulfiqar was scheduled to resume the charge, the government withdrew the notification and appointed additional IGP BA Nasir as new CCPO.

Again, in 2019, the Punjab government repeated the violation while appointing DIG Zulfiqar, bypassing 15 additional IGPs of BPS-21 rank, presently serving at various other important positions in the province, the official says.

Quoting Section 11 of the Police Order 2002, he points out that it is the rule which clearly defines the criteria for appointment of a provincial and the capital city police officer.

The Police Order 2002 Section 11 (2) reads: “the Federal Government in the case of Islamabad Capital Territory and the Provincial Government in the case of Capital City District shall post a police officer not below the rank of Additional Inspector General of Police as Capital City Police Officer out of three officers recommended by the National Public Safety Commission, or on the recommendation of the Provincial Police Officer, as the case may be”.

The official says the abovementioned rules have left hardly any space for any officer below the rank of BPS-21 to be appointed against the slot of CCPO by mentioning the word of ‘additional inspector general of police’.

Similarly, he adds, Mr Zulfiqar’s appointment as CCPO has also raised a question mark over the capability of several senior colleagues serving in Punjab against various slots as AIGs.

Some of those neglected in this regard are: Tariq Masood Yasin, Azhar Hameed Khokhar, Farooq Mazhar, Rao Sardar, Shahid Hanif, Ghulam Rasool Zahid, Abubakr Khuda Bux, Inam Ghani, Ali Amir Malik, Zafar Iqbal etc.

Many of them, the official continues, have been enjoying good reputation throughout their government service regarding their spotless career and field experience in Punjab. They have also spent a lot of time of their services in hard areas outside the province despite having domicile of Punjab.

However, appointment of Mr Zulfiqar as CCPO despite serving in Punjab during the last 16 continuous years in violation of the rotation policy has sent many in immense shock, the official adds.

Another interesting part of this development is that four DIGs (BPS-20) of Lahore would have to work under the command of the newly appointed CCPO who is also of the same rank (DIG).

These officers are serving as DIGs operation, security, chief traffic officer, and DIG investigations and there would be a possibility of internal rifts/politics among senior police officers due to junior commanding officer.

The source in police department says the position of the additional IGP has been designed to give him a visible edge for an authoritative role on the many police officers serving in the provincial capital against various important slots to achieve desired targets. He says a DIG-ranked police officer’s posting against senior position also seems continuity of previous government’s policy of making appointment of weak/junior officer to get results of choice.

IGP Shoaib Dastagir was not available for comments.

AIG Operations Inam Ghani clarified the department’s position, saying that Mr Hameed was the best choice of the IGP from the available lot for having experience of serving in Lahore against important slots.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan has reposed his full confidence in new IGP Punjab Shoaib Dastagir in a recent meeting in Lahore regarding his appointments made on merit,” he said.

Mr Ghani added the PM had repeatedly told the meeting that he had given free hand to the IGP to make appointments on merit to improve policing.

“Due to limited choice, the IGP selected best police officer as CCPO Lahore as it was his privilege to make appointment of the officer who he deems fit for the in-question slot,” he said.

About rotation policy, he said that it was purely a federal subject and the Punjab’s government or the IGP had nothing to do with it.

“The transfer of police officers is sole domain of the Establishment Division Islamabad,” Mr Ghani said.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2019